TEHRAN, Sept 4 (NNN-IRNA) – A senior military commander said, Iran used its homegrown Karrar interceptor drone, to warn U.S. aircraft off the country’s airspace, on a number of occasions over the past two years.
In an interview with Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency, which was published yesterday, Alireza Elhami, deputy commander of the Iranian Army’s Air Defence Force, made the remarks while commenting on the air force’s drone and defence capabilities.
Iran used the Karrar drone to warn U.S. aircraft, as well as, fighter jets from other countries, to stay away from its southern waters, he said.
On one occasion, an American Boeing P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft was forced to change its route, after the warning, while on another occasion, a U.S. Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk drone was warned away, Elhami noted.
He stressed that, the Iranian drone, powered by a domestically-developed engine and equipped with a radar, can reach a height of more than 14,000 metres and is capable of flying above the intruding aircraft.
Elhami said, the Karrar drone will be equipped with air-to-air missiles in the near future, so that it will be able to carry out combat missions.
