Iran has launched new drone center to conduct different operations for Iranian army 12607172

Defense & Security News - Iran
 
Iran has launched new drone center to conduct different operations for Iranian army.
Sunday, February 26, 2017, Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Ground Force Brigadier General Mohammad Pakpour announced start of operation by a special Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) unit for different IRGC Ground Force missions.
     
Sunday, February 26, 2017, Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Ground Force Brigadier General Mohammad Pakpour announced start of operation by a special Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) unit for different IRGC Ground Force missions. Iranian armed forces display some local-made drones during an official ceremony
     
"We have set up a drone center and organization in the IRGC Ground Force which has bases in the regions of operation and is operational," General Pakpour said on Sunday, February 26, 2017.

He said that the drone center will be entrusted with conducting different missions of the IRGC Ground Force.

Iran's latest drone product was unveiled in October in a ceremony in the presence of Commander of the IRGC Aerospace Force Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh.

"The drone, Saeqeh (Thunderbolt) is Iran's latest pilotless plane from Simorgh (Phoenix) class and enjoys the capability to simultaneously strike at four targets with smart bombs that have pinpoint precision-striking capability in far distances," Hajizadeh said, addressing the ceremony in Tehran.

Noting that Iran is now standing among the first four world states in developing drones, he said, "The Americans are on par with us in certain (drone building) fields, including production of stealth and bomber drones, and actually, the Americans are trying to stay on par with us in this section."

General Hajizadeh announced in March that Iran has decided to call its own version of the US Sentinel spy drone RQ-170 as “Simorgh".

Iran is now developing Simorgh into a class of drones with reconnaissance, surveillance, combat and bombing capabilities. According to earlier reports, Simorgh drones are equipped with an autopilot capability that brings them back to their airbase if operators lose control or are disconnected from the pilotless aircraft.