Iran’s new (amateur) surveillance drone unveiled December 27, 2011
Posted by David Cenciotti in Captured Stealth Drone, Drones, Iran.Tags: Afghanistan, Beast of Kandahar, CIA, drone, Electronic Warfare, Global Positioning System, GPS spoofing, Iran, Iran drone, jamming, Lockheed Martin, Lockheed Martin RQ-170 Sentinel, RQ-170, Sentinel, stealth, UAS, United States, United States Air Force
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Updated Dec. 27 10.00 GMT
Since Dec. 4, I’ve been constantly monitoring Iranian media for pictures, news releases or statements about the U.S. RQ-170 Sentinel drone captured by Iran.
Even if the news of the once stealthy American drone are slightly fading, on Dec. 26, the Islamic Republic News Agency IRNA, published the images of an electric rone built by students of Islamic Azad University in the city of Heris, East Azarbaijan province.
Similar to a small-scale Learjet business jet (actually, almost identical to the Hondajet as suggested by its markings) sitting on a table, the ultra-light amateur drone is capable of flying 35-minute reconnaissance missions at night, with a maximum speed of 250 km/h and a minimum of 50 km/h. It can cover a distance of 10 km and operate at an altitude of 9,000 feet.
Powered by two electric engines and capable of flying on a single engine, the drone can scan the ground and dispatch the data to a ground station. As reported by the IRNA, according to the Head of the technical team involved in manufacturing the drone, Nasser Nazari Heris, it took only four months to design and manufacture the drone.
Although this drone will remain an amateur project with no military significance, it gives us once again the opportunity to notice that, since it has showed the first (and only) images of the “Beast of Kandahar”, the regime is stepping up the propaganda war, with frequent statements about Iran’s capability to “hack” and take over remote control of U.S. drones (although the Sentinel may have crash-landed in Iran because of technical failure) or reverse engineer the RQ-170 to build its own drones.
In the meanwhile, on Dec. 24, Iran’s Navy launched the massive 10-day naval exercise “Velayat 90” in the area stretching from the east of the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Aden. Iranian submarines, warships, and other naval vessels with their accompanying helicopters are attending the drills. I’ve read no reports about drones taking part to the exercise. So far.
Image source: IRNA
Stay tuned.
This, along with all the previous articles on the Sentinel drone in Iran, can be found at the following link (click and scroll down): http://theaviationist.com/category/captured-stealth-drone/
Iran state media routinely publishes stories about students designing and building drones in record time eg http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=8607300665
David, I’m hammered tonight but is not that picture a model on a table? I think that Iran is no kind of problem, and that the hellish beliefs of the right wing and Israelis are just that. I think that Iran would be demolished in a day, and what the fuck would that prove?
Their main guy now now, said in whatever their language is, that Israel should not be existing now. So I understand. And I agree. Although, I love your photos. Brother died young whilst flying. And I am still enough of a boy to like the wickedness of the aircraft.
I still feel there is a discrepancy between Iran’s usual displays/parades/exercises and supposed high tech quality of their military equipment and then the images we are shown. Nice model, I am sure there are plenty of small clubs/high schools or universities around the world that can do that. Kind of reminds me of the modified twin tail F5 which Iran claims to be comparable to an F18.
Anyways, why haven’t we seen more of the RQ? They have had enough time to move it to a secure location, dismantle it and show us the insides, the electronics, the engine,etc….The only thing we have seen so far is that small video, that’s it, it’s a bit thin. For me, I believe Iran should be showing that thing 24/7, really milking it to the world, not a 2 minute video and that’s it….I still believe that they have a “drone” but I am getting a bit suspicious…..
The model is of a Honda Jet, not a Learjet. The markings on the engine mounts on top of the wing should be a clue and these mounts are actually quite original to Honda. For more info on the actual jet: http://hondajet.honda.com/
Also, the colour scheme and contruction details is suspiciously similar to a pre-finished model that you can find at:
http://fly-model.com/html/Product_209.html
The model is manufactured in China:
http://fmshobby.en.alibaba.com/product/465881084-209929135/RC_Model_HONDA_HA_421.html
The big mystery is how it took them four month to assemble it.
Interesting, thank you.
Maybe it took four months to put the camera or “scanning” devices on board the model.
Either way, the funny thing is the attempt to advertise capabilities in UAS technology.
I’m shocked by the implication that Iran might stoop so low as to buy a pre-finished model. Maybe this is evidence of the true impact of international trade sanctions.
the “drone” you linked to seems to have ar cockpit window too, which suggests that it to is a scale model fitted with surveillance equipment.
I suppose those displays of ingenuity are mainly for domestic consumption. Something about showing the peoples commitment to defend the country. And I seriously doubt the statement that the “drone” will be able to carry any arms. Nothing larger than a hand-grenade anyway.
Nice find by Ndorop.
…so what they reportedly have done is fitting an off the shelf model plane with surveillance equipment. Actually not a bad concept for a low budget short range drone program. But I got to think about the Canadian UVA purchased by Libyan no-longer-opposition-forces:
This makes me think that if the Iranian army haven’t developed surveillance UVAs there will be a high probability that they have bought something more sophisticated than a scale model.
Nasim news agency is reporting that IRGC commander Nouri has claimed that the final stages of “decoding” the drone and soon the news will be shared with public: http://www.nasimonline.ir/NSite/FullStory/News/?Id=311142
Only fools would expect Iran reveal its real weapons, would you tell your enemies what kind of strategic weapons you have?