TEHRAN- The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Navy has produced unmanned military ships that employ artificial intelligence for combat operations.

Rear Admiral Ali Reza Tangsiri, the commander of the IRGC Navy, declared during a televised program on Monday night that his troops had acquired artificial intelligence-equipped unmanned warships.

He also noted that the elite military unit has equipped its brand-new home-built Shahid Mahdavi warship with a variety of drones, including kamikaze drones.

“The Shahid Mahdavi combat support vessel has been equipped with cruise missiles with a range of 300 to 750 kilometers, Sepehr-7 vertical launch drones with a flight duration of 8 hours and a range of 200 kilometers, and kamikaze drones with a range of 1,300 kilometers, and it can also carry 5 helicopters,” the admiral stated. 

The top military official also said the IRGC ships will soon outpace American ones.

The commander further stated that the 180-kilometer-range missiles mounted on the Tareq-class boats of the IRGC Navy can be fired when the boats are moving at a speed of 60 knots.

He said that the Kowasr-200 and Navab missiles have been installed on the Ashura- and Zolfaqar-class boats, respectively. 

The Shahid Soleimani cruiser has been equipped with the Navab and Sayyad-3 missiles.

Elsewhere in his remarks, the admiral said, “Today, some neighboring countries have given the child-killing Zionist regime a foothold in the region. However, they should know that if they hurl a stone at us, we will respond. If our ships face a problem, the Iranian courage will not leave it unanswered.” 

Iran’s naval force has made significant progress in recent years in terms of producing military gear and strengthening its presence in international waterways and on high seas.

The commander announced intentions to deploy a new drone-carrying vessel with the name “Bahman Baqeri” in honor of the martyr.

Iranian officials have emphasized time and again that the nation would not scale back in enhancing its military capabilities, which are only intended for defense.