TEHRAN -- The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps has inaugurated an airbase in the city of Zahedan, Sistan and Balouchestan Province, to improve the drone and helicopter fleet in the southeast of the country.
In a statement on Wednesday, the public relations of the IRGC announced that the airbase was inaugurated in the presence of the IRGC first-in-command Major General Hossein Salami.
Established by the aviation division of the IRGC Ground Force, the base can host all kinds of combat and search and rescue helicopters as well as various types of drones, according to the statement.
Named after Martyr Ali Arabi, the base has been constructed based on the latest engineering guidelines and aviation standards, it added.
Speaking at the inaugural event, commander of the IRGC Ground Forces Brigadier General Muhammad Pakpour said that the base would improve the force’s helicopter fleet in the southeast of the country for various defense, rescue, logistics, and relief missions.
“The base has all the necessary capacities for refueling, hangar, repairs, and maintenance, as well as the ability to accommodate and launch dozens of helicopters at the same time,” he said.
The new base comes as the IRGC has developed different types of drones in recent years.
Back on April 9, the IRGC Ground Force unveiled a new suicide drone, dubbed Me’raj 532, that is capable of flying up to a height of 12,000 feet for 3 hours and taking off from a vehicle.
Just two days later, the force unveiled yet another homegrown UAV dubbed Mohajer 6 which is a jammer drone capable of transmitting interfering radio signals.
Iran has achieved remarkable breakthroughs in making its own equipment for its armed forces in recent years, clinching self-sufficiency in this area.
Iranian officials have repeatedly stressed that the country will not stop strengthening its defense capabilities, including its missile power, stressing that they are only for defense purposes.