Recently, according to third-party media reports, an official who claimed to be an adviser to
Iran’s intelligence department said that more than 90 countries are interested in Iranian drones. One of the military powers wants to buy 15,000 drones from Iran.
Iran exported 15,000 drones to military power. This certain military power has even developed intercontinental missiles, stealth fighter jets, and nuclear submarines. Does it still lack Iranian drones? Therefore, what the Iranian intelligence adviser said should have the color of advertising.
The performance of Iran’s drones is indeed good; there is no doubt about this. However, there is no need for a major country to buy drones from Iran. The performance of the UAV of a certain major country is even more advanced than that of Iran.
Iran’s stealth drones have not been around for long, and a major country has already developed drones as early as the Cold War. It also shot down the U.S. military’s Firebee UAV for research and developed its own new domestic UAV.
That’s all for the matter between Iran and a certain big country, but the performance of Iranian drones is indeed quite advanced. Let’s take a look at the three major highlights of Iranian drones here, and we will know how advanced Iranian drones are.
First, Iranian drones are military products produced under the technological blockade of the West, which shows that Iran’s military industry founda tion is very deep, and it can develop multiple drone products suitable for Iran.
How is Iran’s military strength? It can’t be said to be very strong, but it is by no means bad. This is also due to the support of the United States. The relationship between Iran and the United States was very good during the Cold War.
Iran’s military equipment is all active equipment provided by the United States. Then, the Iranian Pahlavi Dynasty gradually formed its own equipment maintenance system to maintain American equipment for a long time.
By 1979, the Islamic Revolution broke out in Iran. After the change of regime, Iran gradually realized localization on the basis of this advanced American equipment. Iran has been able to develop its own cannons, tanks, aircraft, and ballistic missiles.
In particular, Iran was able to develop the Conqueror 313 stealth fighter jet in the face of the U.S. blockade, which shows that Iran’s military-industrial capabilities are at least not bad.
Iran’s military strength has provided Iran with very strong technical support for developing drones. This strong technical support allows Iran to obtain drones through various means under the strict blockade of the West. Advanced technology has successfully developed several types of drones. Iran’s military strength is indeed worthy of attention.
Iran is similar to North Korea in that North Korea can obtain a batch of missile technology from abroad. Iran also has access to drone technology. Iran has obtained the technology of active drones, such as the MQ9 of the United States, to develop its own drones. This is indeed beyond the expectations of Americans.
Second, the types of Iranian drones are relatively complete and suitable for various operational needs.
How far can Iranian drones go? North Korea’s missiles can be both nuclear and conventional and have various strike effects. Iran’s drones are also “both nuclear and conventional, with diverse strike effectiveness.”
The high-quality performance of Iranian drones surprised the whole world. It is roughly divided into the following categories that are practical on the battlefield—
1. The loitering missile drone nicknamed 358.
Compared with ballistic missiles, loitering missiles are cheaper and more cost-effective. It can also achieve continuous launch strikes. Russia has purchased many high-quality loitering bomb weapons from Iran, such as the weapon nicknamed 358 but does not know the real model name.
These loitering bombs can hit a series of targets on the front and rear of the Ukrainian army, just like the Eighth Route Army guerrillas during the Anti-Japanese War, which caused heavy losses to the Ukrainian army’s equipment and personnel. 358’s “air-to-ground attack guerrilla warfare” made the Ukrainian army suffer a lot.
2. Multiple models of surveillance and strike drones.
The integrated surveillance drone is a unique skill among Iranian drones. Iran has developed a new type of drone that is very close to the Turkish TB2. This drone can guide and cooperate with other drones of the Iranian military. , For example, the Shahed 136 UAV performs tasks such as battlefield surveillance and air intelligence transmission, and it does it very well and carefully.
The successful battlefield application of Iran’s surveillance and strike-integrated UAV shows that the diversified combat capabilities of Iranian UAVs continue to achieve overtaking in curves, and it took only ten years to complete the development of UAVs that the United States has completed for decades.
3. UAVs that perform theater-level combat missions.
The second point just mentioned that a certain type of UAV developed by Iran performs tasks such as battlefield surveillance, air intelligence transmission, and ground strikes in conjunction with the Shahed 136 UAV.
This is a drone used by front-line troops, and it can achieve division-level combat missions at the highest. Iran also has a type of drone that can perform more advanced theater strikes and reconnaissance missions. This shows that Iran’s drones can realize the command, reconnaissance, and strike tasks of troops at different levels. Iran’s operational division and direction of the use of drones are in place.
Third, Iran’s drone production capacity is very strong. This time, the third party said that an Iranian official said that Iran could export 15,000 drones. It does not matter which country Iran exported 15,000 drones too. But can Iran produce 15,000 drones? Maybe a little exaggerated. But the news revealed by this official can at least explain one thing.
During the long-term military readiness against the United States, Iran has stored a large number of drone weapons. Including the drone weapons we mentioned above, other types of drones developed by Iran, and ballistic missiles.
As a military power that the United States has sanctioned for a long time, Iran’s number one enemy is the United States. Iran will not take the initiative to attack the United States, but Iran has made all preparations to resist the attack of the United States.
Iran has a militia organization capable of mobilizing tens of millions of people, a large number of combat-ready tanks, artillery, and missiles, and heavy weapons such as drones.
Once Iran enters a wartime state, the domestic military industry system can quickly start production and provide troops with a steady stream of equipment. The military-industrial inventory can supply the needs of the front line at any time.
Iran’s drones have already surpassed Russia in an all-around way. The effectiveness of Russian drones in actual combat is obviously not as good as that of Iran, so it imports a large number of drones from Iran. As a country blocked by the United States, Iran can develop multiple types of drones and missiles and independently develop stealth fighter jets, which are indeed very powerful.