Iran’s military has received more than 200 UAVs following an agreement with the military to provide the military with 1,000 drones.
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Drones received by the Iranian military (Ministry of Defense)
Iran’s military has received hundreds of domestically produced long-range strategic unmanned aerial vehicles, Iranian media reported on Thursday.
Iranian media added that the drone in question was manufactured by the Ministry of Defense in cooperation with the army and handed over to the military in ceremonies held across the country on Thursday.
The ceremony was attended by a number of senior military officials, including Army Commander Abdulrahim Mousavi, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic, Brigadier General Aziz Nasirzadeh, and Minister of Defense Mohammad. Reza Ashtiani.
The Iranian military has delivered more than 200 different UAVs and kamikaze drones manufactured by Iranian military industries. These include Ababil-5, Ababil-4, Arash, Karrar, 10th Shahrivar, Akhgar, Homa, and a drone known as the “Switchblade drone”. pic.twitter.com/Ovjn8FPC85
— Yuri Lyamin (@imp_navigator) April 20, 2023
More than 200 drones to be exact have been handed over to the military as Tehran strengthens its position as a major manufacturer of munitions.
UAVs have radar evasion capabilities and their missions range from reconnaissance, destruction, combat reconnaissance, air interception, and attack on moving and fixed targets.
Manufacturers have also equipped the drone with numerous types of air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles, smart bombs, and electronic warfare systems.
In addition, new features have given drones greater flexibility, making them long-range stealth aircraft that can be dedicated to carrying out special operations.
Last year, the Ministry of Defense reached an agreement with the military to strengthen its powers, which stipulates that the government will provide the military with 1,000 unmanned aerial vehicles.
This comes after Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps ground forces developed a new kamikaze drone earlier this month that can detonate targets within a range of 450 kilometers.
The unmanned aircraft, named Meraj-532, was successfully tested, said General Ali Khestani, head of the Revolutionary Guard’s ground forces’ research and self-sufficiency jihad organization. Tasnim News agency.
Regarding the drone launch mechanism, the drone can take off from a vehicle and can climb to an altitude of 12,000 feet with a flight time of 3 hours. The explosive-laden drone is highly accurate and has a payload of 50 kg.
Iranian unmanned aerial vehicles are reportedly equipped with piston engines and can travel distances of up to 450 kilometers on one-way missions.
Britain’s Defense Intelligence Agency claimed in February that Iran is emerging as a world leader in producing cheap and deadly drones.
At a briefing in London, Defense Intelligence Agency analysts argued that Iran has gone from being the region’s drone mainstay to becoming Russia’s most important military supporter in the war.
In late December 2022, Iranian Armed Forces Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Ali Bagheri emphasized that Iran is in a position to be among the world’s top five countries in terms of unmanned capabilities.
It is noteworthy that since the beginning of the Ukraine war, the US government has sided with Iran and supplied Moscow with drones for use against Kiev in order to try to impose continued sanctions on Iran. This is something he has repeatedly accused of doing.
