Iran first began using UAVs in 1985, with the Ababil-1 and Mohajer-1, which spied on Iraqi positions behind front-line trenches.In 1988, following Operation Praying Mantis where the US Navy inflicted heavy loses on Iran’s air and navy forces, [2] Iranian strategists realized they could not openly face the US by water. It was then that Iran started investing heavily in drones.

The Mohajer-6 (Persian: پهپاد مهاجر-6) is an Iranian single-engine multirole ISTAR [3] UAV capable of carrying a multispectral surveillance payload and/or up to four precision-guided munitions.. The Mohajer-6 was unveiled in April 2016 [4] and entered mass production in February 2018. [2] As of February 2018, ten have been manufactured for the IRGC Ground Forces, [5] and 40 are ...

Armed Drones in the Middle East. Armed UAVs are viewed in Iran as a way to compensate for the vulnerabilities of its conventional air force, which dates to the 1970s and struggles to keep up with the times given the sanctions still imposed on the country, as well as to enhance the prestige of Iran as a state capable of fielding modern military capabilities in the eyes of domestic and ...

Feb 2, 2024 · Iran has deployed armed drones beyond its borders. Tehran began exporting drone technology to Hezbollah, a Shiite militia in Lebanon, in the 2000s. In 2004, Hezbollah became the world’s first non-state actor to use military drones. And in 2006, Hezbollah – with Iran’s help – used armed drones during its 34-day war with Israel.

Aug 18, 2024 · These international collaborations not only bolster Iran’s unmanned aerial vehicles but also contribute to the strategic goals of the Iranian Armed Forces. As Iran continues to expand its alliances, the impact of these partnerships will be crucial for the growth and innovation of its UAV programs. Challenges Facing Iran’s Unmanned Aerial ...

The Shahed Saegheh (Persian: شاهد صاعقه, Witness Thunderbolt), also called the Shahed 191, is an Iranian turbofan/piston-powered flying wing unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) produced by Shahed Aviation Industries. [2] It is based on, but smaller than and substantially different from, a Lockheed Martin RQ-170 Sentinel UAV that was captured by Iran in 2011 and then reverse ...

Oct 8, 2022 · The Islamic Republic of Iran was one of the first countries in the world to operationally deploy unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs) during the Iran-Iraq War of 1980 to 1988. Consisting of radio-controlled Mohajer-1s armed with up to six RPG-7, Iran's drone arsenal has since expanded to include copies of the U.S. RQ-170 Sentinel, PGM-toting ...

Sep 29, 2024 · On September 21, the Iranian Armed Forces revealed the Shahed 136B, a new class of single-use ‘kamikaze’ drone. This unveiling comes on the heels of the successful deployment of its predecessor, the Shahed 136, in the Ukrainian conflict. ... Other Notable Iranian Drones: Advanced stealth combat drones; Reconnaissance drones;

Jan 24, 2025 · What we know about Iran’s UAV arsenal. Last year, Iran added the Ababil-4 and the Ababil-5 UAVs to its weapons arsenal. As detailed in a report published by the U.S. Institute of Peace, the latter UAV is capable of carrying four guided anti-tank missiles with a range of roughly 5 miles or six precision-guided bombs with a range of just under ...

Aug 22, 2023 · Iran unveils armed drone resembling America’s MQ-9 Reaper and says it could potentially reach Israel. ... But other Iranian drones have been a key element of Russia’s continued war on Ukraine. Tehran has offered a series of contradictory explanations about the drones, first denying they supplied them to Moscow and then claiming they sold ...