Iran introduced Shahid Bagheli, the first drone airline in history, which could be described as a major military breakthrough in the country, which remains Scotch under international sanctions. The ship will join a long list of weapons systems recently announced by Iran to stop its arches and Israel.
Iranian press, Irna, described Shahed Bagheri as a state-of-the-art naval vessel capable of launching and collecting unmanned fighter jets and operating a variety of attack reconnaissance drones.
The Shahedbagrilli drone carrier, converted from a commercial vessel, has an impressive operating range of approximately 180 meters, and 22,000 nautical miles.
Security guard Navy Secretary Admiral Ali Reza Tangsiri told reporters it took more than two years to build the ship. “Adding this ship to our fleet is an important step in increasing Iran’s defence and deterrence capabilities in distant waters and maintaining national security interests,” Tangsiri added. .
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) navy also released footage of the drone carrier, showing the takeoff and landing of a Qaher-313 unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), a small drone version of a locally built fighter jet.
Iran has designed and launched several warships converted from commercial vessels, but Shahed Bagheri stands out as it can launch and retrieve larger drones such as the Qaher.
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Shahed Bagheri is designed as a mobile maritime platform for drones and helicopters while supporting high-speed attack boats. It can also carry USVS and short-range cruise missiles.
General Mohammad Bagheri, the chief of Iranian military, described the ship as “a mobile base that can operate self-sufficiently across the world’s waters.”
While highlighting that Iran does not want to wage war with any country, Iranian security guard General Hossein Salami said the country needs to expand its deterrent capabilities to prevent war. . “Iran is not considered a threat to any country, but we will not succumb to the threat of any power.”
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Interestingly, the unveiling of the vessel appears to be part of a long-studded military modernization effort related to indigenousization, as the country remains under sanctions.
The development and guidance of cutting-edge weapons to the Iranian army demonstrates Iran’s resilience in the face of heavy international sanctions. It also somewhat reaffirms that, as recently highlighted by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragut, it may have failed the “maximum pressure” strategy imposed by the US in the past.
Now, Iranian forces appear to be on overdrive, as evidenced by reports of weapons systems being announced one after another and the purchase of cutting-edge Russian fighter jets.
Iranian military over overdrive
January 2025 was a considerable month for Iran, with several important military launches. For one, the Iranian army received about 1,000 drones, with ranges exceeding 2,000 km. The drones were reportedly delivered to combat units across the country to increase Iran’s attack capabilities.
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At the time, Iranian media said, “not only increased the unique capabilities and depth of drones, including autonomous flight, as well as increased the depth, as well as the ability to pass through defence layers with over 2,000 kilometres, high destructive power, low radar cross-sectional area, drones with unique capabilities and autonomous flight. It’s not just about increasing depth, it also increases the combat capabilities of the Army’s unmanned fleet facing distant targets, rather than the scope of reconnaissance and border surveillance.”
A few days later, the Iranian Navy received Zagro, the first domestically built signal intelligence vessel. It is a surveillance vessel based on the hull of a Corvette, and is said to be strange to others and stunning to others.
The Zagros are equipped with electronic sensors to collect, decode and inspect radio frequency signals from enemies. The vessel is called the “intelligence report destroyer” by the state-run Fars news agency, considering that the Zagros were constructed using modified hulls of Mowj class warships.
During the handover ceremony, naval commander Shahlam Irani said, “The intelligence message ship of the Zagros signal will become the careful eye of Iranian navy in the sea and sea.”
In addition to the above, IRGC unveiled a new cutting-edge drone named “Gaza” in late January. The drone has a range of about 1,000 km, a payload capacity of 500 kilograms, and a flight durability of about 35 hours.
Iranian media claimed that the Gaza drone has an operating radius of approximately 4,000 km, and could carry up to 13 missiles in one flight. Interestingly, the drone was said to have debuted during military training and won eight mock targets.
Most recently, on February 2, Iran announced its new ballistic missile, “Etemad,” at a ceremony hosted by the Iranian Ministry of Defense, in front of reformist President Maud Pezeshkian.
Etemad is the latest list of long list of ballistic missiles produced by Iran, boasting a range of around 1,700 km. This means that you can reach the territory of Israel, the enemy of Tehran’s arch. The 16-meter long Etemad missile also swings its guided warhead.
“The development of defensive capabilities and space technology aims to ensure that there are no countries trying to attack Iran’s territory,” Pezeshkian said at the aired address. With that range, Etemad has its arch and presence, reaching Israel, in case the local wars flow again.
In addition to these systems that Iran is producing domestically despite great pressure on its resources, it is in the process of acquiring some very advanced weapons systems from its ally, Russia.
For example, Ali Shadmani, commander of a senior revolutionary security guard, recently told the media that Iran had purchased a Russian-made Skoy-35 fighter jet.
If you do not specify the number of jets you purchased or are delivered, Shadmani said: Military equipment production is also accelerating. ”
It was the first to announce that in 2023 Iran had concluded an agreement to buy the SU-35 from Russia. At the time, it was reported that two dozen SU-35s previously constructed (and later rejected) for Egypt would be redirected to Iran instead.
But almost two years later, the delivery of these combat jets remained elusive, sparking speculation that the deal could have been cancelled. Nevertheless, the latest confirmation means that your purchase has not been off the table.
The Iranian Air Force has only dozens of strike aircraft, including the old-fashioned Russian jets and the US F-14 aircraft, which were acquired before the Islamic Revolution in 1979. Therefore, the SU-35 will greatly strengthen Tehran’s military capabilities and build deterrent.
