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On May 28, 2022, Channel 1 (Iran) aired a report about a "top-secret" UAV base reportedly located hundreds of meters underground somewhere in the Zagros Mountains. General Abdolrahim Mousavi, the Commander-in-Chief of the Islamic Republic of Iran Army, told the reporter that he is the first journalist allowed entry into the facility, and that drone and missile capabilities can determine who wins the battle in today's "hybrid wars."
The reporter said that the base contains hundreds of combat, reconnaissance, and "suicide" drones, some of which he said can operate from the base and from other underground bases for 24 hours straight without returning to base. He also described some of the drones and their capabilities, including: the Ababil-5 drone, which he said can take off from 500-meter runways and fire the Ghaem-9 missile, which he said is comparable to the American Hellfire missile; the Kaman-22 drone, which he said is a "strategic" drone with a range of at least 2,000 kilometers, and which he said fires the Heydar-cruise missile, making it the first drone to fire cruise missiles; and the Fotros drones, which he said have a range of at least 200 kilometers and are equipped with Ghaem laser-guided bombs and Almas missiles.
General Abdolrahim Mousavi: "We are now several hundred meters underground, at a certain location in our dear country, and you are the first person to be permitted to... "
Reporter: "The Army's Commander-in-Chief says that for the first time, the news agency of the Iranian broadcasting authority has received permission to enter this base. We do not have permission to interview or show any of the pilots or the technical personnel in this base. This facility is classified 'Top Secret.'
"More than 100 of the Army's combat, reconnaissance, and suicide drones are stored in the heart of the Zagros Mountains and are ready for action. Iran's UAVs are as destructive as ballistic missiles. This is what Benny Gantz, the Zionist regime's minister of war, said.
"In today's hybrid wars, drones and missiles determine the winner in a battle. The Army's Commander-in-Chief says that Iran's drones have become more destructive."
Mousavi: "The armed forced of the Islamic Republic of Iran have the best UAV force in the region. This is beyond doubt, due to the type of drones and variety of operations that they can perform."
Reporter: "One example is the Ababil-5. It can carry double the ammunition compared to the Mohaer-6-class drones, and it can take off from a runway less than 500 meters long. It is armed with the Ghaem-9 missile. The parallel American model is known in the world by the name 'Hellfire,' and is used to hunt down moving targets on the ground. That is the standard-bearer of the army's drone fleet.
"The is the air force's Kaman-22 UAV, whose range is at least 2,000 kilometers. It is a strategic UAV whose main weapon is this cruise missile, which has a range of 200 kilometers and is installed on the drone.
"This missile is called 'Heydar,' and it is the first drone-fired cruise missile. Its velocity is almost 1,000 KPH when it hits the target.
"Yet cruise missiles are not installed only on the Kaman-22. In this base, the air force's Fotros drones also have a range of at least 200 kilometers. This drone was first unveiled 11 years ago by the Ministry of Defense industries.
"In addition to the cruise missiles, the Fotros was equipped with Ghaem laser-guided bombs, and with Almas missiles, which have warheads with great explosive power, just like the Kaman-22 drone. The fleets of these two drones are operational in the underground bases as well, and they can perform operations in the air for 24 hours straight without returning to their home base."
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