Eurasia Press & News
Iran’s drone power has always been one of the world’s most sought topics by military observers and analysts, and according to many military experts, Iran is one of the world’s most advanced in drones technology.
The history of drone use in Iran goes back to the pre-revolution era. In the interception trainings, these planes were used to test the effectiveness of surface-to-air missiles, as well as air-to-air missiles. But after the revolution and in the midst of the Iran-Iraq war, drones were used for the first time for reconnaissance missions, filming enemy positions and obtaining intelligence.Even combat examples of these drones were used. However, they evolved over time and included other tasks, including offensive missions. Almost a decade ago, reports of Iran’s plans to develop its own drones were released, and Iran carried out a multi-purpose plan on its drones : survillanse and reconnaissance , air support, , and ground-attack, Scramble and Interception .
Iran’s drone program is part of Iran’s asymmetric war strategy, and Iran’s asymmetric assets have expanded unprecedentedly, so that it has now formed an asymmetric power in the drone that could alter many military equations in the region. The use of drones also could partly offset the shortcomings of the Iranian air force, which is facing serious challenges due to sanctions for repairing and maintaining old aircraft remaining since the pre-revolution.
The purpose of the report is to attempt to assess the Islamic Republic’s ability in drones, to abolish the exaggerated achievements made by the commanders of the IRGC and the Ministry of Defense, and to compare these capabilities in the context of regional and beyond.
The name of the article refers to the story of naming one of the largest Iranian drones, the Fotros UAV. According to Shia traditions When Hossein Ibn Ali is born, God commands Gabriel to come down with a group of angels to congratulate the Prophet on his own behalf. At landing, Gabriel passes by an island in the sea where an angel named Fotros falls. God sended him to do something, and as he delayed his mission, his wings were broken, and felt on that island. Fotors says: O Gabriel, take me with you too, maybe Muhammad will pray for me! Gabriel takes him with him, and when he arrives at the Prophet, he prays for Fotors and tells him to consecration his wings to the cradle of that child. Fotros does so and his wings are restored to his original position And he became one of the seraphim again .
