Iran arms setup at Belgrade’s Partner 2023 turns heads
Iran’s towering display of 16 weapons systems at the international arms fair, Partner 2023, in Belgrade, Serbia, drew the attention of experts, especially on its unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) produced for reconnaissance or shooting purposes.
Placed center stage in Iran’s installation were anti-ship cruise missiles, air defense systems, and small-scale prototypes of the M6, Karrar, and Shahin drones. Models included the AD-75 air defense missile, with a maximum range of 75 kilometers, the CM-35 anti-ship cruise missile, with a 130-kg warhead, and Shahin vertical take-off and landing unmanned aerial system, fitted with multi-rotor propellers by China-based company T-Motor, defensenews.com reported.
Shahed drones, however, were not shown as a model at the Iranian installation at this year’s arms fair.
Months ago, it was speculated that Serbia would buy kamikaze drones of the Shahed-136 type from Iran. Military analyst Andrej Mlakar explains to RT Balkan that the kamikaze drones that Serbia was interested in cannot be seen at the moment, but that does not mean that the Iranian stand is any less interesting.
“Unfortunately, Shahed kamikaze drones are not here, unlike variants of Iran’s reconnaissance drones as well as quadcopters used in reconnaissance and various transport activities. We can also see equipment capable of throwing smoke bombs. It is possible that they can be used to aid ground forces, either for reconnaissance or attack purposes,” explains Mlakar, showing the unmanned quadcopters.
International experts and buyers also got the opportunity to see the Karar drone, another of Iran’s kamikaze drones, which is significantly more advanced than the Shahed, and has stirred a lot of debate.
“There was speculation that the Russians bought the Karar, but for now there is no confirmation of that. It is a long-range kamikaze drone, much faster than the classic Shahed because it has turbojet propulsion,” he noted.
Next to the Karar in Iran’s stand was the pioneering Iranian drone M6, which has been claimed by Westerners to resemble the American drone “The Predator”.
“Iran has the ability to make great copies of American drones, thanks to the fact that they got hold of radio jamming and a large number of American drones,” Mlakar stressed.
Experts were surprised to see on display Iran’s anti-tank missiles inspired by American technology, admitting it gives them strength in action against the US Army.
“Toofan is an Iranian copy of the American TOW missiles. Iran has weapons that can act against the US military. The Toofan missile is a laser-guided artillery projectile for 155mm howitzers. Iran also has the Paladin M109 artillery system, which is an American self-propelled cannon-howitzer. It has a range of approximately 20 kilometers, but there is the possibility of it operating at longer ranges,” a military analyst told RT Balkan.
In addition to this, Iranian versions of the Strela are on display — a complete assortment.
“Iran has an extremely developed dedicated arms industry that can produce anything from drones to anti-tank missiles and tanks,” Mlakar pointed out.
An official representing the Iranian Ministry of Defense said that the Iranian delegation was invited to the fair because of good Serbian-Iranian relations.
“We export products to more than 40 countries and are here to showcase our capabilities,” Ali Siavash told Sputnik, adding that what was shown at the Belgrade Partner 2023 arms fair is only the tip of the iceberg.
According to him, the sanctions have pushed the Iranian military industry to stand on its own feet. “I think that without sanctions we would not have been able to reach this level of development,” maintains Siavash.
According to Iranians, Tehran’s shopping list at the fair included navigation systems for guided artillery. Commanders typically use those munitions for targeting military vehicles or high-value assets like command posts or reinforced structures.
The 11th International Armament and Military Equipment Fair Partner 2023 took place in Belgrade from September 25-28.