Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to receive Fotros strategic UAVs.

The Armed Land Forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) will operate the Fotros strategic Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) for use.

Fotros strategic UAVs (Picture source: Mod.ir)

Speaking to the Tasnim News Agency, Colonel Akbar Karimloo, commander of the IRGC ground forces drone division, said his subordinates would receive a Fotros drone from the Ministry of Defense in the near future.

The commander also noted that the use of another advanced Mohajer-6 drone, produced by the Ministry of Defense, significantly increased the capabilities of the IRGC ground forces in patrolling and fighting along the northwestern and southeastern borders of Iran.

The Fotros is a long-range unmanned air vehicle intended to perform reconnaissance and strike missions equipped with air-to-surface missiles and rockets. This strategic drone was developed by Iran under its domestic weapons program started in 1992 as a response to the United States arms embargo.

The unmanned aircraft has a range in excess of 2,000 kilometres covering much of the Middle East including Israel, can fly at an altitude of up to 25,000-ft and has a flight endurance of 16 to 30 hours. The aerodynamic layout is similar to the Israeli Air Force Heron 1 UAV with twin tails and one two-blade propeller.

The Fotros strategic reconnaissance combat drone was unveiled by the Islamic Republic of Iran on November 18, 2013. Iran will receive the first batch of Fotros aircraft in April 2020.