Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy Rear Admiral Ali Fadavi announced that the IRGC has established drone bases around the strategic Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf, adding that the pilotless planes have been equipped with home-made mid-range missiles.
Admiral Fadavi said that “the IRGC Navy has an independent command center for its drones” which operates “independently from the IRGC Aerospace Force and uses different types of drones with surveillance, reconnaissance and operation missions”.
“And now we have established drone bases in the Eastern, Northern and Western parts of the Strait of Hormuz and operate constant flights over the Strait and the Northern parts of the Persian Gulf,” he added.
Noting that the drones deployed in the bases around the Strait of Hormuz are equipped with mid-range cruise missiles, Fadavi said the missiles are similar to those which have been mounted on the IRGC vessels or are used in the coastal bases in the Persian Gulf.
In September 2012, Iran announced it has started using UAVs in its air defense units as part of its broader plans for strengthening the country's air defense capability.
In December 2013, IRGC Commander Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari said the IRGC is capable of mounting guided missiles and bombs on its drones.
“We have recently acquired the capability to mount guided and precision-targeting missiles with pinpointing capability and bombs on drones, which is actually among branches of advanced hi-tech in this field,” Jafari told reporters in Tehran in December.
He referred to Iran’s latest achievements in building drones, and said, “Our latest achievement in this regard is a drone which can fly for 30 hours and high-speed engines can increase its range.”
In November 2013, Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan said that Iran's new drone enjoys unique strategic capabilities, including 30-hour-long flight durability, and has been developed for combat and surveillance missions.
The new drone, “Fotros” (photo), has been designed and built by the Iranian Airplane Manufacturing Industries Company affiliated to the Defense Ministry’s Aviation Industries in cooperation with knowledge-based companies and academic centers and on the basis of the needs of the country’s Armed Forces, Dehqan noted.
“This strategic drone has an operational range of 2,000 kilometers, and can fly to a ceiling of 25,000 feet in altitude for 16 to 30 hours, and these specifications enable it to conduct combat missions in addition to surveillance and reconnaissance missions. Fotros can be armed with various types of "air-to-surface missiles and rockets,” he added.
Source: FNA
