Iran Showcases New Version of Mohajer-Class Drone
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – An upgraded version of Mohajer (Migrant), one of Iran’s homegrown Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), has gone public with distinguishing features compared to its older model.
The upgraded version, with the commercial name “M2-N”, has been equipped with a range of modern apparatus and systems that have boosted its capabilities for diverse operations.
The new drone can be employed for a range of military and civil operations, including aerial reconnaissance and patrol missions, traffic control, rescue and relief, cartography and oil pollution control at the sea.
Equipped with a 360-degree camera on the nose gear, M2-N can be armed with missiles thanks to the launchers installed beneath its wings.
The new drone’s operating radius has been extended to 150 kilometers and the flight endurance has reached 6 hours, up from 1.5 hours in the previous model.
With the flight ceiling of 11,000 feet, the pilotless aircraft can travel with a maximum speed of 180 kilometers per hour.
The 90-kg drone, whose wingspan measures 3.8 meters, takes off on a pneumatic launcher, because it is built with a skid instead of wheels.
The drone can land on its skid or by using a parachute.
M2-N ground control station
The new aircraft was showcased at the International Aviation Industry Exhibition on Kish Island.
The Islamic Republic is now in possession of a broad range of UAVs which can be used for both civilian and military purposes.
Earlier this month, the Iranian version of the US advanced RQ-170 drone made maiden flight.
Experts at the IRGC Aerospace Force manufactured the stealth drone through reverse engineering.
On December 4, 2011, an American Lockheed Martin RQ-170 sentinel drone was captured by Iranian forces near the city of Kashmar in northeastern Iran.
The drone was brought down by the Iranian Armed Forces’ electronic warfare unit which commandeered the aircraft and safely landed it.