Iran launches its latest UAV
By Sara Rajabova
Iran has unveiled its latest indigenous unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), a reconnaissance and combat drone dubbed as Hamaseh.
The drone was unveiled on Thursday during a ceremony attended by Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi, Press TV reported.
The Iranian UAV has been made by Aviation Industries Organization of the Defense Ministry.
Iranian Defense Minister Vahidi said this drone has been built by defense industry experts and is simultaneously capable of surveillance, reconnaissance and missile and rocket attacks.
"This aircraft with its stealth quality can avoid detection by the enemy," he added.
High altitude and long flight range are two other distinguishing features of the new Iranian UAV.
Iran has made important breakthroughs in its defense sector in recent years and attained self-sufficiency in producing important military equipment and systems.
Meanwhile, Iranian Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari announced that the country is overhauling and modernizing a destroyer Bayandor to make it ready for missions in international waters.
The Bayandor Destroyer will join the naval fleet on May 24 after undergoing major repair work and being equipped with various weapons systems, Sayyari said on Thursday.
He said that Iran can use the destroyer to carry out missions in international waters in the future.
Sayyari said the destroyer is fitted with state-of-the-art equipment such as missile, torpedo, artillery, sonar and other information and communication systems.
Also, recently, Sayyari said that Iran has unveiled its first domestically developed minesweeping system.
Iran is now among a few countries possessing the technology to defuse and clear naval mines, the Iranian commander said on the sidelines of the ongoing minesweeping drill in the country's southern waters where the new system was launched.
With the development of the new minesweeping system, anti-mine helicopter units can engage in defusing sea mines, Sayyari said noted.