A high-ranking Iranian military commander says the country has developed an advanced drone designed to target the coastal cities of Tel Aviv and Haifa in the Israeli-occupied territories in case of a military confrontation with the regime.
The Arash-2 drone, which is a newer version of the previously unveiled Arash-1 aircraft, has been developed by the Iranian Army’s Ground Force, the force's commander, Brigadier General Kioumars Heydari, told the state-run IRIB TV1 television channel during an interview broadcast late on Sunday.
The new drone enjoys unique specifications and capabilities, and can successfully retrieve information multiple times before it strikes and destroys the designated target, Heydari explained.
“The drone has been specifically designed to target Haifa and Tel Aviv,” he said, hailing it as a “peerless” aerial vehicle.
It has already been added to the Iranian Army’s inventory, and its capabilities will be showcased during future military exercises, Heydari added.
The general went on to say that his force, from the military perspective, is the largest, most equipped, and most diverse armed force of the country in terms of technology and hardware.
Heydari said that the Army’s Ground Force is the most unrivaled compared to similar forces in the region given its aerial combat and offensive power and because it has the largest fleet of military helicopters.
The senior Iranian commander further said that his force has undergone changes in terms of organization and structure and has remarkably improved in order to be highly versatile, strategic, integral, fully mobile, and offensive.
Arash-1 drone is a kamikaze and radar-evading unmanned aerial vehicle first launched during the Iranian Army’s massive drone exercises in January 2019 from a portable launcher installed on the Makran coast in the southeastern part of the country.
It flew a distance of more than 1,400 kilometers (869 miles) before it hit the designated target in the central Iranian province of Semnan.
Arash-1 drone is said to be approximately 4.5 meters long, and its wingspan is estimated to be measuring between 3.5 and 4 meters.
The drone’s wing is of the delta type and has been designed for high speeds. Its design, therefore, enables the aircraft to conserve its fuel for greater endurance and flying longer distances.
Iranian military experts and technicians have in recent years made substantial headways in manufacturing a broad range of indigenous equipment, making the armed forces self-sufficient in the arms sphere.
Iranian officials have repeatedly warned that the country will not hesitate to strengthen its military capabilities, including its missile power, which are entirely meant for defense, saying the Islamic Republic’s defense capabilities will be never subject to negotiations.
Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has repeatedly called for efforts to maintain and boost Iran’s defense capabilities, hitting back at the enemies for disputing the country’s missile program.
Source: PressTV
