
One of the unidentified new OWA UAVs that was displayed when 1,000 UAVs were supposedly handed over to Iran's regular military on 13 January. (IMA Media)
Iran's regular military took delivery of 1,000 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), the Iranian media reported on 13 January.
The television coverage of the handover ceremony showed dozens of UAVs lined up in hangars, most of which appeared to be the Arash, a long-range one-way attack (OWA) type, although there were also several Ababil-3, Karrar, Kaman-12, Mohajer-6, and a single Ababil-5, all of which are reusable types.
There were also at least six UAVs that could be identified as Kaman-19s, a type unveiled during an exercise held in October 2023, when it was reported to be a dedicated electronic warfare platform.
A previously unseen type of OWA UAV was also shown during the handover. It was not explicitly identified but Iranian television coverage reported that a type called the Muharram was included, saying it is designed to target air-defence radars. At least 16 were displayed, 10 of which were in racks with part of their wings removed for storage. The type's delta wing is similar in shape to that of the Omid, which has been compared to the Israeli Harop, but its vertical stabilisers protrude below as well as above its wing and it has a smaller canard over its nose.
Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi, commander of the Islamic Republic of Iran Army, said the UAVs were due to be delivered in the Iranian year 1404, which begins on 20 March, but arrived six months ahead of schedule due to the hard work of the Ministry of Defence's aviation industries.
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