The commander of the Iranian Army's Ground Forces says a new upgraded version of Farpad -- a domestically-manufactured hand-launched drone -- has joined the army’s operational units.
“The Iranian Army's Ground Forces has manufactured a new version of the hand-launched Farpad drone and delivered it to operational units,” IRNA quoted Brigadier General Kioumars Heydari as saying on Wednesday.
He added that the drone system was not for research anymore as it had passed field tests and handed over to operational units of the Army’s Ground Forces.
The commander made the remarks while commenting on the latest achievements of the Iranian Army's Ground Forces in designing and manufacturing drone systems.
Heydari said Farpad will be operated in reconnaissance and border surveillance missions and other relevant operations, adding that the unmanned aerial vehicle will also be used in equipping mobile combat brigades, rapid reaction forces and intelligence units.
According to the commander, Farpad is equipped with autopilot and portable ground control station.
“The drone is also capable of participating in electronic warfare and is also capable of detecting targets via imaging,” he added.
Iran has made major breakthroughs in its defense sector and attained self-sufficiency in producing military equipment and hardware despite facing sanctions and Western economic pressure.
Last month, Iran unveiled a drone in two different versions, for swift tracking and identification and for precision strikes on distant targets.
The unmanned aerial vehicle, dubbed Kian, was inaugurated in the presence of Commander of the Iranian Army’s Air Defense Force Brigadier General Alireza Sabahi-Fard and other senior commanders on September 1.
The long-haul vehicle, Sabahi-Fard said, is capable of hitting targets far from Iran’s borders and engaging in defense on hostile territory.
The Islamic Republic says its military power is solely for defensive purposes and does not pose any threat to other countries.