TEHRAN — The Iranian Defense Ministry plans to supply the Army with 1,000 unmanned aerial vehicles UAVs, commonly called drones, in the near future.

The plan to provide the army with drones was signed in a “strategic agreement” between the Defense Ministry and Army on Monday, Tasnim reported.

The agreement is intended to promote the drone power and the equipment carried by the unmanned military aircraft.

Under phase one of the agreement, the ministry undertook to supply the Army with 1,000 drones in a short time.

In comments at the event, Army Commander Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi highlighted the growing power of drones used by Army units, saying the UAVs have increasingly been employed in war games for various purposes.

After the agreement was signed, Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami told reporters that Iran is ranked fifth or sixth in the world in terms of drone capability.

Nowadays drones play a significant role in the reconnaissance and combat missions, Hatami said, adding Iranian military industries have become self-sufficient in manufacturing advanced drones.

In January, the Army staged a massive exercise using various homegrown drones for different operations including aerial interception, launch of air-to-air missiles, detonation of ground targets with bombs and missiles with pinpoint accuracy, and suicide strikes.

Military officials say Army experts have dramatically increased the flight endurance of suicide UAVs, manufacturing drones with an operational range of 4,000 kilometers.

SA/PA