Iran builds new bomber drone Hazem

A senior Iranian commander says the country’s experts have built a new unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) with bombing abilities.

Commander of Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Air Defense Base Brigadier General Farzad Esmaili broke the news on Sunday saying the new drone, named Hazem, is a long range aircraft which can be used in air defense operations.

Esmaili noted that the drone will be used in targeting and identification operations, and for carrying cargo whenever needed.

The Iranian commander added that Hazem is not designed for carrying missiles, but we can mount explosives on them.

In recent years, Iran has made great achievements in its defense sector and attained self-sufficiency in producing essential military equipment and systems.

Karrar, Iran’s first indigenous long-range drone unveiled in August 2010, is capable of carrying a military payload of rockets to carry out bombing missions against ground targets, flying long distances at a very high speed, and gathering information.

The country’s indigenous unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), Shahed 129, unveiled in September, 2012, can carry out combat and reconnaissance missions with its 24-hour nonstop flight capability.

Tehran has repeatedly assured other nations that its military might poses no threat to other countries, insisting that the Islamic Republic’s defense doctrine is entirely based on deterrence.