Commander of the Iranian Army Air Defense Force Brigadier General Alireza Sabahifard said Sunday that the country’s experts have managed to arm a domestically-developed jet-powered drone with a new air-based missile.

Brigadier General Sabahifard stated that the Iranian air defense technicians have furnished “Karrar” drone with a heat-seeking air-to-air missile with a range of 8 kilometers.

“After a year and a half of research and trial, the experts made a series of technical modifications to “Majid” surface-to-air missile and turned it into an air-based missile,” he added.

He further said the “Karrar” drone has been armed with “Majid” missile, whose warhead can detonate various aerial targets, Fars News Agency (FNA) reported.

Back in mid-September, Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Baqeri said that demands by foreign customers for Tehran-made drones are much higher than the country’s production capacity.

The military chief stressed that his country has turned into a “big drone power” that is outperforming major world powers.

Military officials say Tehran is self-sufficient in building drones from their fuselage to various subsystems and engines, adding the country’s Armed Forces are equipped and ready to carry out any type of drone operations and missions.

Iranian officials have repeatedly stressed that the country will not hesitate to boost its military capabilities, including its missile and drone power, which are entirely meant for defense, and that Iran’s defense capabilities will never be subject to negotiation.