Iran unveils armed drone resembling America's MQ-9 Reaper, claims it could reach Israel
Mohajer-10 can fly non-stop for 24 hours, Iranian state media says
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Iran on Tuesday unveiled a new armed drone bearing resemblance to America’s MQ-9 Reaper, with state media claiming it has the operational range to reach Israel.
The Mohajer-10 was showcased during a ceremony celebrating the Islamic Republic’s Defense Industry Day.
The drone can fly non-stop for 24 hours with an operational range of around 1,200 miles and is capable of carrying a bomb payload of up to 660 pounds, according to the state-run IRNA News Agency.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}It also can reach a maximum speed of 130 mph and is "equipped with electronic warfare and intelligence-gathering systems," a report from IRNA added.
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Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, second right, attends a ceremony unveiling the Mohajer-10 drone. (Iranian Presidency Office/AP)
"Today, we can firmly introduce Iran as an advanced and technologic nation to the world," Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said on state television during the event, according to The Associated Press.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Footage shared by IRNA showed the drone spinning around on a moving platform with smoke coming out from underneath it.
The drone later was seen purportedly taking off from a runway at an unknown location.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Iran's Defense Ministry unveiled a drone Tuesday resembling America's armed MQ-9 Reaper, claiming the aircraft can stay airborne for 24 hours and can reach Israel. (Iranian Presidency Office/AP)
The authenticity of the footage could not be independently verified.
The AP reports that "Mohajer" means "immigrant" in Farsi and that the Mohajer-10 is the latest in a drone line that has been manufactured in Iran since 1985.
Iran has in the past captured U.S. drones or pieces of them, but there's no evidence that it has taken a General Atomics' Reaper, which is flown by the U.S. Air Force and allied American nations as a "hunter-killer" drone that can operate at high altitudes for long hours and follow a target before attacking. North Korea in July showed off drones mirroring the Reaper, possibly designed from publicly available information about the aircraft, according to the AP.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Mohajer-10 is seen in an undisclosed location in Iran, according to The Associated Press. (Iranian Defense Ministry/AP)
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In December 2011, Iran seized an RQ-170 Sentinel flown by the CIA to monitor Iranian nuclear sites after it entered Iranian airspace from neighboring Afghanistan. Iran later reverse-engineered the drone to create their own variants. In 2019, Iran shot down a U.S. Navy RQ-4A Global Hawk in the Strait of Hormuz amid high tensions over its collapsed nuclear deal with world powers.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.