Iranian Army kicks off large-scale drone drill

The Iranian Army started a two-day drone exercise across the country on August 24.

The joint exercise of the Iranian Army began with the participation of over 150 UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles), from the Persian Gulf and Oman Sea in the south to the east, west, north and centre of the country, according to the ISNA news agency.

Surveillance and reconnaissance drones carried out the monitoring operation of the country’s borders, identifying the intended targets in the general area of the drill. 

The spokesman of the joint drone drills, Admiral Seyyed Mahmoud Mousavi, said that the Yasir, Sadeq, Pelikan, Ababil 3, Yazdan and Mohajer 6 drones were used to identify targets as well as monitor the desired areas in international borders and waters in this part of the exercise.

It is for the first time that a joint drone exercise is conducted at the level of the four forces - ground, naval, air, and air defence - of the Iranian Army and the country's air defence base.

A deputy commander of the Iranian Army, Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari, said on August 23 that the number of drones participating in this exercise is over 150, and added that "this is only a part of the drone power of the four forces of the Iranian Army, which are carrying out operations with various reconnaissance, surveillance and combat missions". 

Iran’s "secret drone base", called 313, which is located several hundred metres underground also will participate in the drill.

It is the second-ever drone exercise of the Army, as the first was held in January 2021.

The drill comes as the US accuses Iran of planning to sell drones to Russia to use in its war against Ukraine, but Tehran denies the allegation.