Iran’s Police Flying Aerial Vehicles for Border Control

An Iranian police commander said different types of aerial vehicles have been employed to fly over the country’s borderlines to ensure maximum security.

Speaking to Tasnim on Wednesday, Commander of Iran’s Law Enforcement Air Force General Mohammad Vali Beiranvand said the border police employs gyroplanes and drones to monitor and control the borders, particularly in the east.

He said the border police forces maintain a round-the-clock watch over the frontier areas by using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs).

Iran’s borders are controlled jointly by the Police, the Army and the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC).

The IRGC says it employs a large number of the homegrown Shahed-129 drones for ensuring security along the country’s border regions.

In 2012, the IRGC unveiled the reconnaissance version of Shahed-129 and the home-made aircraft with combat capabilities came on stream in 2013.

Once refueled, the drone has 24-hour flight endurance and can be used for various missions. It can be used in the fight against drug-traffickers and terrorists, patrol and reconnaissance missions along the territorial and sea borders, environmental operations and for taking aerial images.

The home-made aircraft enjoys high precision strike capability and has an operational range of 1,700 km.