Iran to launch mass military drone drills

Iran will stage large-scale drone drills across the country with the participation of different units of the Army, says a senior Iranian Army commander.

Deputy Chief of the Iranian Army for Coordination Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari made the announcement on Tuesday, saying the massive exercises will kick off on August 24 and will involve more than 150 new advanced drones.

The drones, he said, have been manufactured by the Army and the Defense Ministry in cooperation with local knowledge-based companies, and they will be flown in the upcoming drill.

“The accuracy and power of weapons… the capabilities of guidance and control systems and the combat capabilities of drones are among the things that will be tested and evaluated in this exercise,” Sayyari said.

“This is the first time that a joint drone exercise is conducted at the level of the four forces of Iran’s Army and the country’s joint air defense base,” he added.

Sayyari went on to say that this is only a part of the drone power of Iran’s Army, “which is carrying out operations in various reconnaissance, surveillance and combat missions.”

According to the commander, the drills will cover all areas across Iran, from the Gulf and the Sea of Oman in the south to the northern and central parts of the country.

Back in April, different units Iran Army unveiled a number of new drones and homegrown missiles in a parade marking National Army Day.

One of the major achievements put on display during the parade was the new generation of Ababil multirole tactical unmanned aerial vehicles, named Ababil-5.

The Army also unveiled surface-to-surface Fath 360 and Labeik missiles as well as Dezful and Majid air defense systems.