Iran announced on Wednesday that it has reinforced its air defense forces in the east and southwest of the country with Karrar drones armed with Majid Air-to-Air Missiles.
Iran’s IRNA news agency quoted a commander of the air defense in the eastern region of Iran as saying that the success of the operational test of armed drones with air combat capabilities led to a significant improvement in the air defense capability, and had a direct impact on increasing the strength of deterrence.
The agency noted that the Majid air defense missile, a domestic product, is equipped with advanced thermal and optical seekers, greatly enhancing its tracking and interception capabilities.
It added that the Karrar drone “succeeded in its operational tests” during military exercises held in October.
For its part, Fars news agency reported that the drone was delivered to the southwestern air defense zone in the presence of a gathering of military commanders in the city of Mahshahr.
Last Sunday, Iran said it has reinforced its air defense capabilities by adding combat drones equipped with air-to-air missiles to its arsenal.
The drones, with an operational range of up to 1,000 kilometers (620 miles), were exhibited during a televised ceremony organized at a military academy in Tehran in the presence of the commander-in-chief of Iran’s army, General Abdolrahim Mousavi.
Fars said that the locally made Karrar drone, which has been equipped with the Majid thermal missile, can destroy enemy aircraft at a much lower cost than manned combat aircrafts.
The agency added that the drone has an ability to fly at an increased speed, to carry all types of missiles and to higher flight level.