Iran to unveil combat, reconnaissance drones soon: Defense min.

Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi says the country will unveil a variety of combat and reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) soon, stressing the new drones will play an instrumental role in upgrading Iran’s defense power.

“…Drones are needed by the country’s marine sector and the maritime sector will be equipped with this technology in the near future,” Vahidi said on Monday.

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

In September 2012, the country also unveiled a new indigenous UAV, Shahed 129, with a 24-hour nonstop flight capability.

On December 17, 2012, Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy Rear Admiral Ali Fadavi said Iran had launched the production line of the ScanEagle drones, adding that the IRGC naval and aerospace divisions were employing the UAVs.

Vahidi further said that Iran’s Defense Ministry plans to test-fire two air-to-surface missiles in the future.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Vahidi said the might of Iran’s Navy guarantees security of the country, adding that the Navy’s missile power would nip the enemy’s “hostile strategies” in the bud.

The minister emphasized that Iran should have a strong presence along its southern coastlines in order to drive out the enemy from the region and undo its strategies.

He noted that the Navy’s defense capabilities such as surface-to-sea missiles can detect enemies in distant spots and force them out of the region.

Vahidi stated that the cruise and long-range missiles of Iran Navy are powerful enough to target the enemies’ giant destroyers.

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