Iran to enrich ammo arsenal with Haazem-3 drone

Source: AzerNews

Iran has significantly improved its military capacity by producing newly developed missiles and technology in recent years.

The country announced that it plans to unveil a new domestically manufactured unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in the near future, Fars news agency reported.

Commander of Khatam al-Anbiya Air Defense Base, Brigadier General Farzad Esmaili said on June 10 that the new drone, named Haazem-3 (Farsighted-3), will be presented on September 1 on the occasion of Iran's Air Defense Day.

He said that the remote-controlled aircraft has some of the same features as the domestically manufactured Sarir (Throne) drone, but some other features are more advanced.

The Sarir is highly maneuverable and able to change direction quickly while flying at maximum speed. The drone can gain speed quickly, thanks to good acceleration, and can evade radars, he said.

Esmaili went on to say that the Sarir can effectively identify and hit targets on the ground. He explained that the UAV is armed with domestically designed and developed missiles, which can destroy a number of targets, including enemy aircraft.

Haazem is a drone designed and manufactured by Iranian air defense experts in three short, mid- and long-range models and for air defense missions.

The drone can be used as a target for air defense systems and also for reconnaissance missions.

Earlier, the Iranian Defense Ministry inaugurated a facility destined for mass production of a new air-defense system.

The new system, Herz9 (Protector), which has been designed and developed by Iranian experts at the Defense Industries Organization, is capable of detecting, identifying and intercepting low-altitude targets through automatic controls.

Iran unveiled its first domestically manufactured long-range and combat drone, named the Karrar (Striker), on August 23, 2010. It reportedly has a range of 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) and can carry two 115-kilogram bombs or a precision-guided munition weighing 227 kilograms.

The first Iranian medium-altitude long-endurance UAV, named the Shahed-129 (Witness-129), was unveiled in September 2012. It is said that the aircraft is capable of carrying out combat and reconnaissance missions for 24 hours.

Tehran has repeatedly assured other nations that its military power poses no threat to other countries, saying that Iran's defense doctrine is based entirely on deterrence.