Iran’s Karrar Drone Armed with Air-to-Air Missiles
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iran’s homegrown Karrar drone, which took part in the most recent drill staged by the Army, has been furnished with air-to-air missiles, a ranking commander said.
Speaking on state TV on Wednesday, Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari gave a report on a large-scale drone drill that the four units of the Army held across the country for two days.
The commander of the joint war game said around 200 combat, reconnaissance, assault and suicide drones participated in the drill, noting that 95 percent of purposes of the war game have been accomplished.
He said the war game zone extended over half of the Iranian territory plus the northern parts of the Indian Ocean.
Highlighting the large number of advanced drones that practiced diverse tactics in the drill, including nocturnal operations, Rear Admiral Sayyari said the UAVs used in this exercise were furnished with state-of-the-art technologies, many of which may not be made public.
He noted that one of the achievements displayed in the drill was the air-to-air missiles mounted on the Karrar drone.
The new missiles enable Karrar to detect, track and lock on the aerial targets before destroying them, he said, describing the know-how as a great achievement developed under the pressure of sanctions.
In September, Deputy Commander of the Iranian Army’s Air Defense Force Brigadier General Alireza Elhami said Karrar has been equipped with a radar.
The general said Karrar has several times forced the foreign manned and unmanned aircraft to change their course over the Persian Gulf and Sea of Oman at high altitudes.
Karrar is the first Iranian military drone that has set a service ceiling record by reaching an altitude of 47,000 feet, he noted, adding that the drone has given radar or radio warnings to the foreign aircraft that have been approaching Iran’s coastal waters or its flight information region (FIR).
Known as an advanced interceptor drone, Karrar is among the new generation of Iran’s jet drones, configured to intercept the enemy’s flying objects. It enables the country’s armed forces to conduct a broader range of air defense operations at high altitudes.