Captured ‘Enemy Drone’ Was IRGC’s Mock Drone

Another PR Disaster Strikes Iran

Iran’s state-run Press TV reported on Sunday that the captured enemy drone was only a mock drone used as an enemy drone during the Great Prophet 8 exercises.

“Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has successfully taken control of the mock enemy's reconnaissance drone on the first day of the Payambar-e Azam 8 (The Great Prophet 8) military drills.” (Press TV, 24 February)

On Saturday, IRGC Brig. Gen. Hamid Sarkheili, the military spokesman for the exercises, told reporters that IRGC air defense units had captured a foreign spy drone near the area where IRGC units were conducting maneuvers. The IRGC general added that the forced landing of the enemy drone was captured on video and will be shown publicly is the military commanders choose to. (Fars News Agency, 23 February)

Also on Saturday, Mehr News Agency reported that IRGC had detected and observed the presence of a foreign spy drone observing the maneuvers, but the news agency did not say that the drone was captured.

Now, the Press TV is telling us that the captured enemy drone was IRGC’s own mock drone.

Note: Another PR disaster strikes Iran. On 28 January, Iran’s aerospace organization sends a monkey into the orbit but brings another one back to earth. On 2 February, with much fanfare, the president and the defense minister unveil the country’s new stealth jet fighter, Qaher-313, which turned out to be a mock-up. Yesterday, a senior IRGC general announces the capture of a foreign spy drone, only turning out to be one of IRGC’s own.

The PR disasters of the past four weeks cannot be blamed on government-run press, although they did their part in spreading the lies. There were always government officials making the announcements. The aerospace director holding the wrong monkey, the president and defense minister unveiling a mock jet fighter, and an IRGC general trying to sell us an IRGC drone as a captured enemy spy drone.

The Iranian officials need to revisit their PR strategy; it’s been unqualified disaster lately. When on Saturday, the director of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran announced the “discovery” of new uranium mines and “plans” to build 16 new nuclear power reactors; the announcements were received by skepticism. Were these discoveries and plans part of government’s negotiation tactics at Almaty? Lack of credibility can only hurt the country’s position.

Photo credit: Mehr News Agency using a Boeing promotional picture for a ScanEagle without identifying it as the photo accompanying its report on Saturday 23 February on IRGC’s observation of the “enemy” drone.

Qaher-313 : Video

Iran today unveiled the domestically built Qaher-313 jet fighter. The state TV showed a video of the new aircraft in flight. (IRINN, 2 February)

Note: Commentators have observed that the Qaher-313 has its fixed landing gear down while traveling at high G. Also interesting to note that Iran which has not yet produced turbo jet engine, is unveiling a turbo fan engine on this aircraft.

Iran Unveils New Fighter Jet: Qaher-313

A Mock-Up Displayed in Tehran

Iran today unveiled the mock-up of a domestically built fighter jet that can reportedly evade radar. The single-seat Qaher-313 (F-313) can combat both other aircraft and ground targets, Iran’s official news agency IRNA reported. The government has not announced if any flight tests has been conducted on an actual prototype model, and when the new fighter will go into full production. No technical specifications of the aircraft has also been released.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad hailed the manufacturing of Qaher-313 as manifestation of the country’s growing self-reliance in defense industry. In a ceremony broadcast on state TV, Ahmadinejad said the Qaher-313 (“Dominant-313”) shows Iran's will to “conquer scientific peaks.”

“Qaher-313 is a fully indigenous aircraft designed and built by our aerospace experts. This is a radar-evading plane that can fly at low altitude, carry weapons, engage enemy aircrafts and land at short airstrips,” said Iran’s Defense Minister Brig. Gen. Ahmad Vahidi said. (IRNA, 2 February)

Iran's English-language state Press TV claimed Qaher was similar to the American-made F/A-18, an advanced fighter capable of dogfighting as well as penetrating enemy air defenses to strike ground targets.

UPDATE: The state TV just released a video showing the aircraft in flight. Please click here.

Photo credit: Qaher-313 (Hossein Zohrevand/Fars News Agency)