The IRGC has launched a new stage of the “Payambar-e Azam (The Great Prophet) 19 ” war game in Iran’s southwestern regions since Monday.
The IRGC Ground Force has employed a series of homegrown drones during the drill.
The new unmanned aerial vehicles unveiled in the war game include “Bina”, a hybrid reconnaissance drone with an operational range of 40 kilometers, the “Qandil 4 and 5” reconnaissance drones with a range of 100 km and flight endurance of 5 and 10 hours, as well as the “Arbaeen” VTOL (vertical take-off and landing) drone, an unmanned bomber that can carry bombs weighing 7 kg within a range of 10 km.
The other new drones used in the drill were “Ra’ad-2” suicide drone with a range of 20 km and a 5-kg warhead, the “Ra’ad-3” suicide drone with a range of 100 km and a 12-kg warhead, and the “Saeqeh” suicide drone with a range of 20 km and a warhead weighing one kilogram.
The IRGC also unveiled “Saber” combat micro aerial vehicle, which can carry various anti-tank and anti-personnel weapons within a range of 5 km.
During the first stage of the war game, the IRGC Ground Force had unveiled a new loitering drone dubbed “Rezvan” with a range of 20 km and flight endurance of 20 minutes.
The new drones have enabled the IRGC Ground Force units to combat the terrorist groups more effectively in the mountainous regions.
Loitering munitions, also known as "kamikaze drones" or "suicide drones," are a specific type of weapon designed for precise strikes. Once launched, these systems use advanced optical and thermal sensors to detect and track targets. They patrol designated airspaces, scanning for potential threats, and when they find a target, they dive into it, detonating themselves to ensure destruction.
This unique combination of surveillance and striking capability makes loitering munitions extremely effective in modern warfare. Such weapons are especially effective in ground combat and anti-ambush operations. Their small size and portability make them an ideal weapon for ground forces.