Unmanned aerial vehicles in the Iranian military

Background

Iran first used UAVs in 1985 with the Ababil-1 and Mohajer-1, which spied on Iraqi positions. After Operation Praying Mantis in 1988, where the US Navy inflicted heavy losses on Iran’s air and navy forces, Iranian strategists realized they could not openly face the US by water and began investing heavily in drones. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Aerospace Force is the primary operator of Iran’s growing fleet, though most Iranian military services employ them. In September 2016, Mohammad Bagheri announced the development of new long-range attack drones with precision bombing capability, which was being shared with Russia.

Drones became a technology Iranian engineers could develop locally as external markets closed due to sanctions or high prices. On 29 July 2021, US sanctions targeted Iran's weapons program, including groups that supply parts for drones and missiles. That same day, a delta-wing drone similar to unmanned kamikaze drones developed for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps flew into the pilothouse of the tanker Mercer Street in the July 2021 Gulf of Oman incident, killing two crewmembers; later tests indicated the UAV had been rigged with a nitrate-based explosive, RDX. In October 2021, Iran unveiled the Kaman 22 UAV, modeled on the US MQ-1 Predator and with features from the MQ-9 Reaper, also reminiscent of the Chinese CH-5 drone.

Issues with Iranian drones include a lack of access to modern components and parts, especially engines, lack of self-defense features, problems with technical reliability, and poor weather. Former US Central Command chief Gen. Kenneth McKenzie stated that the US was 'for the first time since the Korean War operating without complete air superiority' due to threats posed by Iranian drones.