Mohajer-10 Takes Wing With a 2,000-km Range

TEHRAN -- Iran on Tuesday unveiled an advanced homemade drone named Mohajer-10 with an enhanced flight range and duration as well as a greater payload.
The drone has an operational range of 2,000 km (1,240 miles) and can fly for up to 24 hours. Its payload can reach 300 kg (661 pounds), double the capacity of the “Mohajer-6” drone. The drone can travel non-stop at an altitude of 7,000 meters.
A video released on Tuesday displayed the drone among other military hardware, with text saying “prepare your shelters” in both Hebrew and Persian.
The Iranian Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics unveiled the Mohajer-10 as part of an exhibition and ceremonies marking Defense Industry Day.
President Ebrahim Raisi and senior commanders in the army and the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) attended the event.
The unmanned attack aircraft, which resembles the MQ-9 Reaper manufactured by the United States, was also shown in videos taking off from an unidentified airstrip and flying. It is capable of carrying a variety of bombs and anti-radar equipment and of conducting surveillance.
The latest version of the Mohajer, which was first developed during the eight-year Iraqi war on Iran in the 1980s, can fly at a maximum speed of 210 kilometers per hour (130 miles per hour) and hold 450 liters (120 gallons) of fuel.
Standing in front of an assortment of large missiles and flanked by military commanders, President Raisi announced during the ceremonies that two previously unveiled long-range ballistic missiles are now ready to be handed over to the IRGC.
These include the Haj Qassem, named after General Qassem Soleimani, who was assassinated by the U.S. in Iraq in January 2020, reportedly using an MQ-9 Reaper, and the Khorramshahr, named after the city whose recapture in 1982 marked a turning point in staving off the Iraqi invasion of Iran.
President Raisi said Iran’s military advances have significantly altered the way Tehran is viewed in the region and across the world.
“Yesterday, they viewed us as a consumer and a country in need. Today, they see us as a producer who can have much to say in the defense and military industries,” he said.
Speaking to a group of defense ministry officials and scientists, he said Iran continues to seek friendly relations with all nations but will not hesitate to “cut off any hand” that wishes to invade Iran.

“Today, we can firmly introduce Iran as an advanced and technologic nation to the world.”

Iran has in the past captured U.S. drones or pieces of them. In December 2011, Iran seized an RQ-170 Sentinel flown by the CIA to monitor Iranian nuclear sites after it entered Iranian airspace from neighboring Afghanistan. Iran later reverse-engineered the drone to create their own variants.

In 2019, Iran shot down a U.S. Navy RQ-4A Global Hawk in the Strait of Hormuz.

The country has unveiled a series of drones it describes as capable of long-endurance flights over the last several years.

Iran’s Army Chief Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi said despite sanctions, the country has been able to produce all the defense equipment required by the Armed Forces to protect borders.

IRGC Navy chief Rear Admiral Alireza also said, “Today, we are proud of covering all the country’s needs for advanced equipment through reliance on the capabilities of our youth.”

Tangsiri further warned that the enemy will not be allowed to even think about an operation on Iranian soil.

In a message marking the day, Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Muhammad Reza Ashtiani enumerated multiple achievements in the country’s defense sector over the past two years.

He said Iranian experts have managed to reduce the ballistic missiles’ target miss to less than 35 meters and increase their range to 2,000 kilometers.

In air defense, he added, several systems have been developed in order to deal with low-altitude targets and cruise missiles.

Iranian experts have also designed and manufactured Nasr and Ghadir air-based cruise missiles with a range of 35 to 200 kilometers as well as Talaiyeh ground attack missiles with a range of more than 1000 kilometers, he said.

In the field of drones, the Defense Ministry is seriously pursuing the development of the fifth generation of strategic drones under a “drone leap” program, which also involves the development of artificial intelligence along with support, electronic warfare, and signal collection missions.

Ashtiani said that in the past two years, the production of solid fuel ballistic missiles, as well as air defense and cruise missiles have jumped by 64, 45, and 100 percent, respectively.

He also reported a 30 percent increase in the development of different types of speedboats.

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Mohajer-10 Takes Wing With a 2,000-km Range