Watch Iran Show Off Newest Karrar Combat Drone With Anti-Air Missiles
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Iran has unveiled a new air-to-air capability for its Karrar combat drone, an ironic twist for an unmanned aerial vehicle derived from a target drone for anti-air missiles.
The new version of the Karrar drone was shown off on Sunday at a ceremony at Khatam Al-Anbia Air Defense Academy in Tehran attended by several senior figures in the Iranian government and military.
The 13-foot-long drone, powered by a single turbojet engine, is capable of approaching Mach 1 and has a range of roughly 620 miles. Now, it can carry a short-range air-to-air missile called the Majid, which reportedly has an 8-mile range. It was previously upgraded to carry ground strike missiles as well.
🔴🇮🇷🎥 1. Iranian Army integrated the "#Karar" drone equipped with the "Majid" precision missile into its air defense forces. The induction ceremony, attended by Major General Seyyed Abdolrahim Mousavi, marked the introduction of this system designed for precision targeting. pic.twitter.com/vKLvNIO56h
— Haidar Akarar (@HaidarAkarar) December 10, 2023
Maj. Gen. Abdolrahim Mousavi, chief commander of the Iranian Army, said that the development demonstrated “another stage [in the process] of upgrading the power of the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Defense Force.”
“Today, the Army meets its own needs through the cooperation of its scientists with the Ministry of Industry, Mine and Trade, and knowledge-based cores. This is because strengthening the defense power across land, sea and air borders is an inseparable principle of the Army,” he added during the ceremony.
The Karrar drone was derived from the Beechcraft MQM-107 Streaker, a target drone built by the United States for testing out anti-air missiles. After Iran adapted the drone to be built domestically, it used the Karrar for the same purpose for many years until deciding to add missile hardpoints in 2010.
The small drone can be loaded four-at-a-time onto flatbed trucks, from which they can also be launched.
🇮🇷 Testing stages of the Karrar drone. pic.twitter.com/r0TLhDnCdX
— Resistance Monitor (@Moqawamah_eng) December 11, 2023
The Karrar isn’t alone as a drone that can carry air-to-air missiles, as the US Air Force’s MQ-9 Reaper can carry Sidewinder missiles, but the configuration remains rare as most drones are used for reconnaissance or for ground strikes.
The Karrar offers Iran a cheaper alternative to manned interceptors as the large Southwest Asian country patrols its skies. Israel, which has claimed Iran secretly revived its long-abandoned nuclear weapons program, has also pledged to bomb Iranian nuclear facilities.
Since the Palestine-Israel conflict entered its newest stage in early October, Israel and the US have widely been perceived as looking for reasons to bomb Iran, which they claim support Hamas and groups like Hezbollah and Ansarallah, which have also recently engaged Israeli forces.
Iran has pioneered the development of numerous drones in recent years, using them as force multipliers and deterrents against attacks by other nations.
