Iran claims breakthrough with Israeli-lookalike combat UAVs

[bananas]

Source: UPI

Iran's Revolutionary Guards say they're now producing armed unmanned aerial vehicles, such as the Shahed-129, capable of attacking air and ground targets.

If that's correct, it marks a significant technological advance for the Islamic Republic's defense industry -- even if the Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles, or UCAVs, do appear to be rip-offs of Israeli or U.S. systems.

In recent days, Iran's military leaders have claimed self-sufficiency in the UAV sector and announced initial production of a combat drone called Raad-85, Farsi for thunder, and the mass production of the Shahed-129, unveiled in September 2012.

The Shahed, or witness, has an operational radius that tops 1,000 miles, can stay aloft for 24 hours and can carry as many as eight indigenous Sadid-1 missiles on four under-wing twin-launchers.

<snip>

Read more: http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Iran_claims_breakthrough_with_Israeli-lookalike_combat_UAVs_999.html

[Spitfire of ATJ]

1. I feel like I'm watching a fashion show. I remember when cruise missiles were all the rage.

[cosmicone]

2. Cruise missiles are so 80's

on the MIC runways, paparazzi are now chasing drones with fans clamoring for autographs.

Therein lies the success of US Drones in crippling Al Q'aeda and Taliban in Pakistan.

Go drones !!

[hack89]

3. Considering Iran has no communications satellites

this UAV is not going to be flying very far. It is relatively easy to build drones - the infrastructure to control them at great distances is the hard part.

[bananas]

5. They could probably use cell phones. nt

[hack89]

6. The range of cell towers is about 20 miles

and they don't have the bandwidth to control a UAV, it's sensors and it's weapons. Plus they are easy as hell to hack or jam.

[bananas]

7. Maybe you're right - there's a fatwa on 3g

http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2013/02/iranian-ayatollahs-issue-fatwa-against-3g-company.html

Fatwa Issued Against 3G Internet Operator in Iran

By: David Jones for Al-Monitor Posted on February 19.

A new Iranian 3G mobile Internet operator that has brought video-calling to Iran is flouting a fatwa issued by four grand ayatollahs.

<snip>

"The decadence and corruption associated with (Rightel’s) use outweighs its benefits,” decreed Grand Ayatollah Makarem-Shirazi. “It will cause new deviances in our society, which is unfortunately already plagued with deviances.” Ayatollah Alavi Gorghani said that the video-call service would “jeopardize the public chastity” and “inflicts numerous damages” on Iran’s religion and political system.

<snip>

A petition against Rightel was signed by residents of the religious city of Qom on Feb. 10, the 34th anniversary of the foundation of the Islamic Republic. It said the service would “facilitate access to sin and decadence” and called for “countering widespread infiltration of enemy culture.”

Five days ago, 17 MPs wrote a letter to President Ahmadinejad and the Intelligence Ministry calling on them to stop Rightel’s operations.

<snip>

“The truth is that if Iranians can access a portable way to shoot video in a protest, the world will be able to see what is going on as it happens,” said an Iranian who declined to be named.

[Lurks Often]

4. The hard part of a UAV is the software, not the airframe

While Iran may be able to make the airframe and engine*, the real question is are they able do the software properly.


* Iran has a history of making claims about new military technology, however bringing it into full scale production and having it work as described is another thing entirely.