Iran unveils Mohajer-10 advanced drone
Ballistic, Cruise missile production up significantly in two years
Iran has built an advanced homemade drone named Mohajer-10 with an enhanced flight range and duration as well as a greater payload.
The drone has an operational range of 2,000 km (1,240 miles) and can fly for up to 24 hours. Its payload can reach 300 kg (661 pounds), double the capacity of the Mohajer-6 drone, allowing it to carry all kinds of bombs and ammunition, Reuters reported.
The new drone can fly at an altitude of 7,000 meters (23,000 feet). It can travel at speeds of up to 210 kilometers per hour (130 miles per hour) and is equipped with updated electronic and intelligence systems.
The predecessor Mohajer-6 drone can hold 150 kilograms of weapons and fly for 12 hours. The previous model also had a lower flight altitude of 5,400 meters and a speed of 200 kilometers per hour.
US officials have accused Iran of providing Mohajer-6 drones, among other unmanned aerial vehicles, to Russia in its war against Ukraine. Tehran vehemently denies this.
Western governments have in recent months expanded biting sanctions on Iran over the alleged arms sales, AFP wrote.
A video released on Tuesday by Iranian media displayed the drone among other military hardware, with text saying “prepare your shelters” in both Hebrew and Persian.
The Mohajer-10 drone was introduced at a ceremony in Tehran attended by President Ebrahim Raeisi, celebrating the achievements of Iran’s defense industry.
“Mohajer” means “immigrant” in Farsi and has been a drone line manufactured by the Islamic Republic since 1985.
Is it reverse-engineered?
The Associated Press claimed that the Mohajer-10 drone resembles America’s armed MQ-9 Reaper. Iran has in the past captured US drones or pieces of them, but the news agency clarified that there’s no evidence that it has taken a General Atomics’ Reaper, which is flown by the US Air Force and allied American nations as a “hunter-killer” drone that can operate at high altitudes for long hours and follow a target before attacking. North Korea in July showed off drones mirroring the Reaper, possibly designed from publicly available information about the aircraft.
In December 2011, Iran seized an RQ-170 Sentinel flown by the CIA to monitor Iranian nuclear sites after it entered Iranian airspace from neighboring Afghanistan. Iran later reverse-engineered the drone to create their own variants.
In 2019, Iran shot down a US Navy RQ-4A Global Hawk in the Strait of Hormuz amid high tensions over its collapsed nuclear deal with world powers.
The Reaper also carries special significance for Iran, as one reportedly carried out the 2020 strike in Baghdad that killed Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani, a top Iranian anti-terror general.
Honoring Gen. Soleimani
Iran separately said it had provided two types of ballistic missiles to its army and the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps on Tuesday, including one named after General Soleimani.
The mass addition of strategic missiles of Khorramshahr and Haj Qassem to the armed forces occurred with the presence and order of President Raeisi, according to ISNA.
On the sidelines of visiting the exhibition of the latest technological and advanced achievements of the Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces, the president expressed hope that “the efforts of all of us will increase the country’s dignity, honor and authority”. “Today, we can firmly introduce Iran as an advanced and technologic nation to the world,” Raeisi said in comments aired on state television.
He reiterated Iran’s stance about friendly relations with “all countries in the world,” adding that Iran’s armed forces will cut off any hand that reaches out in an attempt to invade Iran.
Increased missile production
Iran's defense minister announced that in the past two years, the production of solid fuel ballistic missiles, as well as air defense and cruise missiles have jumped by 64, 45, and 100 percent, respectively.
In a message marking Defense Industry Day, Mohammad Reza Ashtiani enumerated multiple achievements in the country’s defense sector over the past two years.
According to Ashtiani, Iranian experts have managed to reduce the probability of their ballistic missiles missing their targets for less than 35 meters and increase their range to 2,000 kilometers.
In air defense, he added, several systems have been developed in order to deal with low-altitude targets and cruise missiles.
Ashtiani further noted that the experts have designed and manufactured Nasr and Ghadir air-based cruise missiles (with a range of 35 to 200 kilometers) as well as Talaiyeh ground attack missiles with a range of more than 1000 kilometers.
In the field of drones, the Defense Ministry is seriously pursuing the development of the fifth generation of strategic drones under a “drone leap” program, which also involves the development of artificial intelligence along with support, electronic warfare, and signal collection missions.
He also reported a 30 percent increase in the development of different types of speedboats.