TEHRAN (Dispatches) – Iran and Russia have started partnership to design and manufacture unmanned aerial vehicles, an Iranian aviation official said.
"We have started a few joint works with Russia, including cooperation on designing certain drones which we can export to Russia,” Abdolkarim Banitarafi, head of Iran Aviation Industries Organization, told reporters on the sidelines of the International Aviation and Space Salon (MAKS) in Russia.
"Since Iran is among top drone manufacturers and designers in the world, Russia is eager to cooperate with us in this area,” Banitarafi said while stressing that not all drone requests by Russia could "be granted.”
The official did not elaborate on the issue.  
In September 2016, Chief of State of Iran’s Armed Forces Major General Muhammad Bagheri said Russia had sought Iran’s technology to manufacture long-range drones.
Over the past years, Iran has shown off a number of combat and reconnaissance drones. It unveiled its first domestically built drone bomber, Karrar, in 2010 with a range of 1,000km and the capability to carry two 250-pound bombs or a precision bomb of 500 pounds.
Since then, Iran has also introduced Saegheh, Ababil, Fotros, Hazem, Mohajer, Sarir, Shahed 129, and Yasir.
Fotros can fly at an altitude of 25,000 feet and has a flight time of 16 to 30 hours while Mohajer can fly up to 3,000km.