Iranian Army Holds Joint Exercise Involving 150 UAVs, Including Reconnaissance, Suicide, And Missile Drones Launched From Battleships, Submarines, Underground Bases

On August 24, 2022, IRINN (Iran) aired a report about the first-ever multibranch UAV exercise held by the Islamic Republic of Iran Army. The exercise involved 150 drones from four of the Army's branches, and the report showed footage from the Army's UAV Base 313, which houses over 100 drones. It also described the operations of the Kaman-12 and Kaman-22 reconnaissance drones, of monitoring stations located in the Anark area, and of the Omid suicide drone, which it compared to the Israeli-made Harop drone used by Azerbaijan. General Hamid Vahedi, the Commander of the Army's Air Force, said that the drones are equipped with missiles and bombs produced by Iran's Ministry of Defense.

The following day, Channel 1 (Iran) also aired a report about the exercise. This report showcased the following drones: the Ababil-4; the Arash; the long-range Bavar-5 drone, which has classified capabilities; and the vertical-take-off Homa drone. The drones were being launched from the deck of the Lavan battleship in the northern Indian Ocean. In addition, the report showed the Chamroush and Zhubin drones being launched from a Fateh-class submarine, and it showed Karrar bomber drones being prepared for launch. Moreover, it showcased Omid drones and the Mohajer drones, which carry Almas and Ghaem missiles.

Presenter: "From the depths of the Earth to the heights of the sky, this is the first time that the Army's four branches display their UAV capabilities in an exercise."

IRINN Reporter: "This is the Army's UAV Base 313. The Kaman-12 UAVs were charged with the mission of flying to the middle of Iran and to its Western borders, in order to detect their targets."

General Hamid Vahedi: "We equipped all our UAVs with munitions, missiles, and bombs that are produced by the Ministry of Defense."

IRINN Reporter: "The underground deployment of these UAVs was published three months ago by IRIB's news agency, during the visit of the Chief of Staff for the Armed Forces and the Commander-in-Chief of the Iranian Army. There are over 100 UAVs stationed in this base, including previously unknown UAVs.

"This is one of dozens of Omid UAVs manufactured by the Army. Their main mission is to destroy enemy radar sites, as well as mobile targets on the ground. A similar UAV exists only in one place in the world.

"This UAV is called Harop and is located in Azerbaijan. It is produced by the regime that occupies Jerusalem. It is the only model that is similar to Iran's Omid UAV, which is moving towards its target as part of this exercise. Operations security limitations prevent the media from publishing information about the kind of impact the Omid UAV makes on its target. At the same time, 150 UAVs are flying in Iran's skies, carrying out detection missions in order to destroy their targets. Everything is done under the monitoring of the Air Force's Kaman-22 UAV, as well as ground stations in the Anark area, over 1,000 kilometers away from the UAVs' main bases."

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Channel 1 Reporter: "This is the Ababil-4 [drone], and this is the northern Indian Ocean. Arash is another UAV that takes off from the deck of the Lavan battleship. The Bavar-5 — like the Ababil-4 and the Arash — has a long range and can fly for a long time, but there is no public information about its most significant feature. Homa, the Iranian UAV that takes off vertically, also spreads its wings. Several miles away from the Lavan, a Fateh-class submarine pops its head from the ocean surface, in order to launch the Chamroush and Zhubin UAVs. At least 1,000 kilometers away, the Karrar bombers are getting ready. On the second day of the Army's joint UAV exercise, the Iranian skies, from south to north and from east to west, are controlled by at least 150 state of the art and diverse UAVs.

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"The anti-radar Omid UAVs destroy the enemy radars in a secret operation. The Mohajer UAVs, with their Almas and Ghaem missiles, join the fray.

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"The final target of this stage of the exercise was set here, somewhere along the shores of Mokran. From here, the all-Iranian Arash UAV is sent on its devastating mission. Different types of reconnaissance and destruction UAVs were deployed throughout the country. Their operations will be reported by my colleagues in the upcoming bulletins. Hossein Ezhdehaei, IRIB's news agency, in the general area of the joint UAV exercise, of the Islamic Republic of Iran Army, on the shores of Mokran."