Monday, February 8, 2010

Production Launched for New Drone Aircraft Types

The Islamic Republic has launched two new production lines to build unmanned aircraft with surveillance and strike capabilities, Iran's defense minister announced Monday.

Iranian television quoted Defense Minister IRGC Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi as saying the unmanned aircraft would be capable of patrolling, surveilling and fighting operations with high accuracy and a long range.

The two new types of aircraft- or drones- are named Ra'd (thunder) and Nazir (herald), with the former possessing strike capabilities.

Iran announced two years ago it had built an unmanned aircraft with a range of more than 600 miles (1,000 kilometers), long enough to penetrate deep into Iraq, Afghanistan and even reach Israel. It is not immediately clear whether Ra'd or Nazir has such a range.

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