Iranian Air Defense Gets Interceptor Drone Armed with AAM

The Iranian air defense units on Sunday took delivery of homegrown Karrar drones equipped with a sophisticated air-to-air missile that allows for the interception of hostile aerial targets at a lower cost than scrambling jet fighters.

News ID: 84454

Date: 13 December 2023 - 17:02

In an event attended by Army Commander Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi, the air defense bases received the Karrar combat drones armed with Majid missiles.

The Karrar drone paired with Majid missile would allow the air defense units along the border areas to intercept and destroy hostile aerial targets at a much lower cost than the sorties made by manned jet fighters.

The homegrown Majid air defense missile can track and intercept targets with thermal and optical seekers.

The new missile-armed drones will enable the air defense units to carry out air-based tactical defense operations in various geographical locations at a lower cost than the employment of manned warplanes and with much lower risks.

In September, Deputy Commander of the Iranian Army’s Air Defense Force Brigadier General Alireza Elhami said Karrar has been equipped with a radar.

The general said Karrar has several times forced the foreign manned and unmanned aircraft to change their course over the Persian Gulf and Sea of Oman at high altitudes.

Karrar is the first Iranian military drone that has set a service ceiling record by reaching an altitude of 47,000 feet, he noted, adding that the drone has given radar or radio warnings to the foreign aircraft that have been approaching Iran’s coastal waters or its flight information region (FIR).

Known as an advanced interceptor drone, Karrar is among the new generation of Iran’s jet drones, configured to intercept the enemy’s flying objects. It enables the country’s armed forces to conduct a broader range of air defense operations at high altitudes.