Iran Army receives 200 new drones
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The Iranian army receives more than 200 UAVs in light of an agreement with the military on the provision of 1,000 drones to the army.
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The drones received by the Iranian army (MoD)
The Iranian Army received hundreds of homegrown long-range strategic UAVs, Iranian media reported on Thursday.
The drones in question were manufactured by the Defense Ministry in cooperation with the Army, and they were delivered to the military during a ceremony that took place over several parts of the country on Thursday, Iranian media added.
The ceremony saw the participation of numerous high-ranking military officials, including the Commander-in-Chief of the Army, Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi, the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Islamic Republic's Armed Forces, Brigadier General Aziz Nasirzadeh, and Defense Minister Mohammad Reza Ashtiani.
The Iranian Army took delivery of more than 200 differen UAVs and kamikaze drones manufactured by the Iranian military industry. Among them - Ababil-5, Ababil-4, Arash, Karrar, 10th Shahrivar, Akhgar, Homa, drone known as "switchblade drone" etc. pic.twitter.com/Ovjn8FPC85
— Yuri Lyamin (@imp_navigator) April 20, 2023
The drones, more than 200 of them to be precise, were handed over to the army as Tehran bolsters its standing as a key manufacturer of military equipment.
The UAVs are radar evasive, and their missions vary between reconnaissance, destruction, combat reconnaissance, aerial interception, and striking mobile and fixed targets.
The manufacturers also equipped the drones with numerous types of air-to-air and air-to-surface missiles, smart bombs, and an electronic warfare system.
Moreover, drones, with their new features that have given them vast flexibility, have become long-range stealth aircraft that can be dedicated to carrying out special operations.
The Defense Ministry last year reached an agreement with the army on bolstering the power of the armed forces, with the agreement stipulating that the government give the army 1,000 UAVs.
This comes after the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps Ground Force developed earlier in the month a new kamikaze drone capable of detonating targets within a range of 450 kilometers.
The unmanned aerial vehicle, dubbed Me'raj-532, has been tested successfully, the head of the Research and Self-Sufficiency Jihad Organization of the IRGC Ground Force, General Ali Kouhestani, told Tasnim news agency.
Regarding the drone's launching mechanism, the drone can take off from a vehicle, and it can go as high as 12,000 feet with a flight time of three hours; the explosive-laden drone is highly accurate, with a payload of 50 kg.
Reportedly, the Iranian UAV has a piston engine and can travel as far as 450 kilometers in a one-way mission.
The UK's Defense Intelligence Agency claimed in February that Iran was emerging as a global leader in the production of cheap and lethal drones.
During a briefing in London, analysts from the Defense Intelligence Agency claimed that Iran had turned from being a regional drone player in the Middle East to Russia's most significant military backer in the war.
In late December 2022, the Chief of Staff of Iran’s Armed Forces, Major General Ali Bagheri, underlined that Iran stands among the world's five leading countries in terms of drone capabilities.
It is noteworthy that since the start of the Ukraine war, Washington has repeatedly accused Tehran of taking sides and supplying Moscow with drones to use against Kiev, seeking to impose continuous sanctions against Iran.
