Can Iran Dominate Middle-East Airspace With Indigenous Version Of MQ-9 Reaper Drones?
February 27, 2021
Has Iran launched its own version of the US’ MQ-9 Reaper drone? The Middle-Eastern nation has unveiled its new Kaman-22 drone, which is said to be based on American drones such as the MQ-1 Predator and the ‘most lethal’ MQ-9 Reaper.
The latest drone comes four years after Iran purportedly captured a Predator UAV belonging to the US military. The drone was reportedly captured by the Iranian forces, who claimed it was a US Army MQ-1C Gray Eagle UAV. However, later it was revealed it was not Grey Eagle and was something else.
US Media Claims Brand New Iranian Combat Drone a Rip-off of American UAV Designs sputniknews.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from sputniknews.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
The Drive explained that the weapons mounted beneath Kaman-22 s wings are four Sadid guided bombs and two Balaban glide bombs. There also looks to be an electro-optical sensor turret on the UAV.
It has to be said that the Kaman-22 doesn t hugely resemble its Kaman-12 predecessor, and has a closer resemblance to the U.S. Predator MQ-1 and Reaper MQ-9; but at this stage, we ll have to hold tight until more information is officially shared.
Additionally, in 2016, The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Force released the photos of an American MQ-1C Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) captured by the IRGC forces,
Iran Unveils Indigenous Kaman 22 Armed Drone But It Looks Like an American MQ-9 Reaper Rip-Off theaviationist.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from theaviationist.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Press TV: Iran is in the final stages of manufacturing its first wide-body combat drone that is also the first aircraft in the country’s drone squadron to be capable of flying as far as 3,000 kilometers (1864 miles).
The aircraft, codenamed Kaman (Bow)-22, has been designed and developed in line with the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force’s requirements, IRIAF Commander Brigadier General Aziz Nasirzadeh announced on Wednesday.
It is outfitted with various types of combat equipment, including different kinds of smart ammunition, as well as diverse optical and electronic warfare equipment, he noted. According to the official, Kaman-22 can also endure airborne missions lasting longer than 24 hours.