IRGC Navy Commander Rear Admiral Ali Fadavi said on Saturday that the IRGC has deployed its drones in bases around the strategic area.
“We have established drone bases in the east, west and north of the Strait of Hormuz, conducting constant flights over the area as well as in the north of the Persian Gulf,” he added.
The commander said that the IRGC uses different types of drones for “surveillance, reconnaissance and operation” missions.
Fadavi added that IRGC drones are equipped with the same type of cruise missiles which are mounted on vessels or stationed in the coastal areas.
“We have now anti-warship missiles on our vessels, on the coast and on helicopters. Therefore, we can mount medium-range missiles which can meet most of our needs, on our drones, and this is now underway,” he added.
Iran unveiled its first domestically manufactured long-range combat drone, the Karrar (Striker), on August 23, 2010. It has an operational radius of 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) and can carry two 115-kilogram bombs or precision-guided munitions weighing 227 kilograms.
The first Iranian medium-altitude long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the Shahed-129 (Witness-129), was unveiled in September 2012, which is capable of carrying out combat and reconnaissance missions for 24 hours.
Tehran has repeatedly assured other nations that its military might poses no threat to other countries since the Islamic Republic’s defense doctrine is entirely based on deterrence.
RA/MB