Iran says it has technology to build supersonic missiles amid US tensions
Al JazeeraAug 01, 2023
The Facts
Iran's Defense Ministry on Tuesday unveiled a new unmanned attack drone that it claimed is capable of striking targets in Israel during a ceremony marking Defense Industry Day attended by Iranian Pres. Ebrahim Raisi and senior military officials.
The advanced, domestically produced aircraft, dubbed Mohajer-10, can carry twice the payload of the Mohajer-6 drone at 300 kg (660 pounds) and boasts a flight range of 2K km (1.2K mi) with a flight duration of up to 24 hours, Iranian state media reported.
The Spin
Anti-Iran narrative
The Iranian media is mainly spreading propaganda. Not only is the Mohajer-10 only about half as fast as the US Reaper drone, but it also has only a quarter of the payload of its US counterpart. The Mohajer-10 is not a game changer but rather proves, yet again, that Tehran is still a decade or two behind what competitors such as the US, China, and Israel have been able to develop in recent years. Iran poses a growing threat, but it's not from its drones.
Pro-Iran narrative
Iran's Mohajer-10 yet again underscores that, despite sanctions, the Islamic Republic is capable of making impressive strides in military technology and producing all the defense equipment needed by its armed forces. The Mohajer-10 may not be state-of-the-art, but Iran is rapidly advancing the development of fifth-generation combat drones as part of its drone program. Israel and the US should brace for future surprises from Iranian engineers.
