On October 26, 2016, the Iranian news agency Tasnim reported that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy had revealed its "first suicide drone." The IRGC-affiliated news agency stated that while the drone cannot carry missiles, it can be packed with explosives for suicide-type missions, that it is equipped with advanced cameras that can also be used at night, and that its range is 1,000 kilometers and its top velocity is 250 kilometers per hour. According to Tasnim, this is the second Iranian-made vessel that can be used for suicide missions; the first was an IRGC navy speedboat.
Following is a translation of the report:
"The IRGC navy has recently beefed up its aerial defensive capabilities by planning and manufacturing a military drone for identification missions. [This drone is] equipped with advanced military cameras that can be used both day and night. The drone can fly and perform missions in wet areas like the ocean... for four hours at a time, and can execute tasks. Its range is up to 1,000 kilometers. One of its important attributes is its ability to fly as low as half a meter above the surface of the water, or as high as 3,000 feet.
"The new IRGC navy drone's velocity is as high as 250 kilometers per hour, and it can land on the water – meaning that after the identification mission, the drone can easily land on the surface of the water.
"This drone cannot carry missiles, but with regard to the military aspect, it can carry a large quantity of explosives and operate in a suicide capacity – meaning that it can approach a target, flying close to the surface of the water at high velocity, and crash into the vessel or into the land-based command center.
"In addition to the 'Ya Mahdi' speedboats, which are capable of suicide missions, this is the second IRGC navy's product with suicide capabilities."[1]
