Iran becomes 100% self-sufficient in production of military drones
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This latest achievement marks a new phase in the development of Iran's military capabilities.
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Iran becomes fully self-sufficient in military drones manufacturing.
The commander of Iran's air forces, Brig. Gen. Hamid Vahedi, said on Thursday that Iran has achieved full self-sufficiency in supplying its air forces with combat unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
“We have achieved 100% self-sufficiency in the field of unmanned aircraft, but we must not stop in these efforts," the IRNA news agency quoted Vahedi as saying.
The commander also noted that Iran has become the leading state in the Middle East in the field of combat drones.
“We have made good progress in the field of unmanned aerial vehicles, the Air Force has made two very useful UAVs: Kaman-12 and Kaman-22," Vahedi added.
Kaman-12, unveiled in early 2019, is an Iranian homegrown combat-oriented drone capable of conducting military operations with air-to-surface missiles, as well as electronic warfare and reconnaissance. Kaman-22, unveiled in 2021, is the first wide-body combat drone in Iran capable of carrying all types of cargo, with the ability to detect, monitor, gather information, and photograph distant targets, as well as high combat capability through the use of various intelligent ammunition.
Iranian military experts and technicians have in recent years made substantial headways in manufacturing a broad range of indigenous equipment, making the armed forces self-sufficient in the arms sphere. Iranian officials have repeatedly underscored that the country will never stop working to strengthen its military capabilities for defense purposes.
Read more: Iran inaugurates Ababil 2 UAV production plant in Tajikistan
On September 1, Wall Street Journal reported that the US Navy, along with "Israel," Saudi Arabia, and other Middle Eastern countries, are working to establish a network of unmanned drones to limit Iran's military in the region; a program that the Pentagon hopes will serve as a model for operations around the world.
“If the enemies make a mistake, these drones will present them with a regrettable response,” Abdolrahim Mousavi, an Iranian army commander, told reporters during a recent visit by President Biden to the region thousands of miles away from home.
Just a few days ago, the Iranian navy seized and towed an American USV equipped with sensors, cameras, radars, and other data collection technologies.
On September 2, the Iranian navy seized two American military unmanned research vessels in the Red Sea before releasing them.
This comes in light of the continued growth of Iranian naval capabilities, as the Iranian armed forces and IRGC periodically reveal the introduction of new equipment and technologies to their naval fleet.
