Iran Unveils Long-Range Drone Armed with Air-to-Air Missile
Iran has tested a homegrown drone armed with an indigenous air-to-air missile.
The heat-seeking AD-08 missile is a modified version of the Majid surface-to-air missile, Tasnim reported, citing Commander of the Iranian Army’s Air Defense Force Brigadier General Alireza Sabahifard.
Iranian developers took one-and-a-half years of research and testing to modify the missile.
It can strike aerial targets such as drones, fighter jets, and helicopters at a range of 8 to 16 kilometers (5 to 10 miles).
Its passive infrared guidance system enables it to lock on a target without radar assistance.
Karrar Drone
Tehran developed the jet-powered drone over a decade ago as an interceptor for aerial targets.
It can fly over 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) and has a service ceiling of more than 47,000 feet (14,325 meters).
It’s armed with two 115-kilogram (253-pound) bombs or a 227-kilogram (500-pound) precision-guided munition.
It employs a rocket-assist system for takeoff and parachute for recovery.
