Iran Unveils a 'Bombing Drone' Copied from an American Model

The Aerospace Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) unveiled its 'first bombing drone' while simultaneously releasing an image of an 'advanced MQ-1C drone' that it claims was 'captured' from American forces. The Fars and Tasnim news agencies, affiliated with the IRGC, published a photo of a drone on Saturday, October 1, asserting it to be an 'advanced and captured MQ-1C belonging to the U.S.' Tasnim's report noted that it is unclear when the IRGC seized this drone. The Islamic Republic had previously announced on December 3, 2011, that it had taken control of and landed an American drone 225 kilometers deep within Iranian territory with 'minimal damage.' The IRGC later stated that it had decrypted the technology of this advanced American unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). According to the commander of the IRGC Aerospace Force, this drone had conducted numerous flights in surrounding countries and led various operations in Pakistan. Shortly after the drone was captured by the Islamic Republic, U.S. President Barack Obama requested its return, but Iranian officials rejected the request. On the same day, the IRGC also showcased a new combat drone named 'Sa'eqa,' which, according to IRGC commanders, was built based on the design of the American RQ-170 UAV. The exact range of this new drone has not been disclosed, but it has been stated to be long-range and capable of carrying four precision-guided smart bombs. Meanwhile, the commander of the IRGC Aerospace Force claimed, 'Today we have built systems and equipment better than American models, and these are costs that the Americans have paid for being neighbors to us, allowing us to reach this level of power in domestic drones by capturing their UAVs.' He asserted that Iran is 'among the top four countries in the world' in the field of drones and is more advanced than the U.S. in certain areas, including 'stealth drones and bombers.'