As part of a ceremony held on January 13, the Iranian Army announced the acquisition of a new batch of 1,000 long-range stealth combat drones to strengthen its strike capabilities amid a highly tense regional environment. These drones will be distributed across various bases throughout the country. According to local news agencies, the event was attended by the commander of the Iranian Army, Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi, along with the country’s Defense Minister, Brigadier General Aziz Nasirzadeh.

While in-depth details about the systems comprising the delivered fleet remain unknown, reports indicate that these UAVs are locally designed and produced. They stand out for their capabilities against enemy fortifications and their stealth features, which reduce detection due to their low radar cross-section (RCS). Additionally, the newly delivered drones are reportedly equipped for reconnaissance missions, making them suitable not only for attack operations but also for border surveillance.
It is worth noting that this development coincides with Iran’s recent unveiling of its new unmanned system, named Rezvan, which, according to official claims, has a range of 20 kilometers. This drone was particularly showcased during the “Great Prophet 19” military exercises on January 9. Moreover, this significant batch of drones adds to the one delivered in January of last year, which included multipurpose systems such as the Ababil-4 and Ababil-5 (designed for reconnaissance missions) along with the modern Arash drones (a type of loitering munition).

Finally, regarding the mentioned military exercises conducted by Iranian forces, it is worth highlighting the announcement of a new indigenous anti-ballistic defense system. Additionally, a defense exercise for Iran’s nuclear facilities was conducted in Natanz, where low-altitude 9 Dey missiles and a new laser system called Seraj were tested.
Commenting on these developments, Brigadier General Sheikhian, commander of the Aerospace Force’s Air Defense Division of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, stated: “It will undoubtedly create many equations in the military field and in the minds of the countries that oppose the Islamic Republic (…) Essentially, the exercises are part of annual and ongoing programs within the armed forces and are conducted to practice our combat skills before things escalate to the level of war.”
Image credits: @IrnaEnglish on X.
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