Iran's drone reputation seems to be getting better, and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Army has developed a new homegrown suicide drone that can destroy targets at a range of 450 kilometers. General Kukhstani, leader of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps Army Research and Self-Sufficiency Organization, said the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), called the Me'raj-532, has a piston engine and a one-way flight range of 450 kilometers. Designed and built by young Iranian experts, the suicide squad drone is capable of flying for 3 hours at an altitude of 12,000 feet and can take off from a vehicle.
Kukhstani said that with a 50-kilogram warhead, the drone can hit targets with high accuracy. In addition, the UAV is designed to be of the type that is easy to install, which reduces preparation time and increases reaction speed. The development of new UAVs for the Revolutionary Guards is proceeding at an appropriate pace, and in the near future other combat, training and suicide UAVs will be added to the combat sequence.
In recent years, Iran has made significant progress in developing reconnaissance and combat drones. Iranian officials say they are self-sufficient in the manufacture of drones from airframes to various subsystems and engines, and the Iranian armed forces are fully equipped and ready to perform any type of drone operation mission. Earlier, Iranian officials said that 90 countries were seeking to buy Iranian drones.