Iran to Employ Reconnaissance Drones for Protecting Borders: Commander


Iran to Employ Reconnaissance Drones for Protecting Borders: Commander

TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iran’s Army Ground Force plans to utilize Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) to protect the country’s borders, a senior Army commander announced on Friday.

Commander of the Iranian Army Ground Force Brigadier General Ahmad Reza Pourdastan announced that his forces will make use of reconnaissance drones to protect the borders more effectively.

“The drone units are considered as the Army Ground Force's capability to reach longer range,” the commander told reporters on the sidelines of a military ceremony to mark the National Army Day, here in Tehran.

The new plan for an increase in the use of unmanned aircraft by the military forces comes after the Army Ground Force in September 2013 unveiled a new version of UAV, dubbed ‘Yasir’. 

In a similar development last year, Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari officially inaugurated the production line of the advanced indigenous ‘Shahed 129’ unmanned aerial vehicle, whose reconnaissance version was unveiled in 2012.

“The technology used in Shahed 129, which has been designed and produced by the IRGC aerospace unit, is on a par with the latest technologies,” Major General Jafari said about the mass-produced drone, adding that the drone will "stun world powers".

The domestically-made drone can stay aloft for 24 hours at a time and carry out various missions.

The drone can be used in fight against drug-traffickers and terrorists, for patrol and reconnaissance missions along the country’s 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.

Shahed 129 with combat capabilities can also carry a payload of 8 bombs or smart missiles and is designed to hit both fixed and mobile targets.

It is able to fly at an altitude of 24,000 feet and stay in connection with mobile ground bases, and can use any airport for landing.

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