[5][6] An engine of this type was used for the drone in the 2019 Aramco attack in Abqaiq,[6] which was referred to the UN Secretariat as part of the Resolution 2231 2020 investigations.

[7][8] The flight controller has a backup inertial navigation system by MEMS gyroscope.

Its primary instructions are derived from a commercial-grade GPS unit.

[9] However a Royal United Services Institute article states the origins of the Shahed 131 are obscure.

[3][10] It has been alleged the drone was first seen in the Arabian Peninsula when it was used to attack Saudi targets by the Houthi rebels.