TEHRAN: Iranian Defense Minister Gen. Ahmad Vahidi stated on February 8 that Iran is creating production lines to build two new locally developed unmanned aerial vehicles and will soon be deploying a new air-defense system.
The new UAVs in Iranian service are known as Ra’d (Thunder), which is an attack drone, and Nazir (Herald), to be used in the surveillance role.
Vahidi also claimed that the air-defense system will fill the void left by Russia’s failure to deliver its S-300 system to Tehran. Russia had signed a contract with Iran in 2007 for the sale of the S-300, but failed to deliver it due to pressure from the U.S. and Israel to hold up the transfer. However, the defense minister said the new Iranian system will meet or exceed the capabilities of the S-300, which can shoot down aircraft, cruise missiles, and ballistic missile warheads from distances as far out as 90 miles to altitudes of 90,000 feet.
The boastful claims by the Iranian defense establishment are nothing new, but verifying them is an altogether different challenge. In the past, Iranian defense officials have alleged that their defense industry is close to developing a “fifth-generation” stealth jet fighter, despite very little evidence that Iran has anything near that capability. Instead, most domestic fighter programs are believed to consist of reverse-engineered F-5s.
Iran pushed forward with a program in 1992, aimed at becoming more self-sufficient, an effort that resulted in production of missiles, torpedoes, tanks, and some aircraft. It has gathered technologies and know-how from North Korea and China, and has supplemented its own wares with equipment and materiel purchased from Russia.
Iran has also shared some of its expertise with radical Shiite militant group Hezbollah, which utilized Iranian-built Ababil UAVs during the 34-day Second Lebanon War against Israel in 2006. The Ababil can carry an 88-pound explosives payload and reach distances of 150 miles; Israeli Air Force jets shot down all three Hezbollah Ababil UAVs during the conflict before they were capable of carrying out attacks.
Iran announced last year that one of its newly developed UAVs had a range of 600 miles, or long enough to reach Israel. Whether that UAV is the Nazir drone being readied for production remains unclear.
