Iranian Army Acquires Combat Capable Drones with 930-Mile Range: Defense Minister (excerpt)
The drones could monitor “enemy movements from a considerable distance” and were capable of combat missions, he said at the delivery ceremony in Tehran broadcast on TV.
The aircraft were equipped with bombs and missiles, and they can fly at an altitude of up to 45,000 feet (13,716 meters), he said, without indicating the name of the new drones. (end of excerpt)
Click here for the full story, on the Reuters website.
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The drones could monitor "enemy movements from a considerable distance" and could carry a combat payload, he said at a delivery ceremony in Tehran on Saturday.
The vehicles could fly at an altitude of up to 45,000 feet (14km), he said, without revealing the name of the new drones. They were built by Iran's military industry with the participation of universities, he said.
Iran has been a pioneer in attack drone technology despite international sanctions that have cut it off from arms markets for decades.
The Iranian armed forces have acquired new combat drones with a range of 1,000 kilometers.#Iran pic.twitter.com/2c04OqR4X9
— Press TV (@PressTV) April 18, 2020
Air force head Brig Gen Aziz Nasirzadeh said on Saturday that the country was one of the world's five leading drone producers and claimed, "no country in the region has the technology we use."
Drones are a key element in Iran's border surveillance, especially the Gulf waters around the Strait of Hormuz, through which one-fifth of the world's oil supply is shipped.
Tensions between Iran and the United States have reached their highest levels in decades since the United States killed Iranian General Qassem Suleimani in a drone strike in Baghdad on January 3, prompting Iran to fire missiles days later at bases in Iraq where US troops are stationed.
Although hampered by sanctions, Iran's arms industry has produced dozens of variations of high-tech equipment for export. Iran and its proxy forces, such as Hezbollah, are experts in using ballistic missiles, and the US has accused Tehran's space programme of being a cover for development of nuclear-capable long-range missiles – a claim Iran denies.
Iran is also accused by the US and other countries of responsibility for an attack on Saudi Aramco oil facilities last September. Intelligence suggested that a combination of 25 missiles and drones was used. The attack knocked out around 50 per cent of the Saudi Arabia's crude oil production for several days.
Iranian Army takes delivery of new batch of advanced Ababil-3, Karrar, and jet-powered drones.#Iran #Ababil3 #Karrar #UAV #Drone pic.twitter.com/r7VIeFH3Bm
— Iran Military (@Iran_Military) April 18, 2020
Brig Gen Nasirzadeh said that 10 Ababil 3 and a number of Karar and the unnamed multi-purpose jet-powered drones had been delivered and production was increasing.
"Initially, unmanned reconnaissance aircraft were used. With the development of this type of aircraft, in addition to reconnaissance, it has also become a combat aircraft," state media quoted him as saying.
"At this stage, we are looking for our drones to be able to carry all kinds of ammunition and cargo [as well as the] ability to carry out missions in an electronic warfare environment and carry smart munitions." (end of excerpt)
Click here for the full story, on The National website.
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