No Early Warning: Iran Promises To Target Any UAV Entering Territory

No Early Warning: Iran Promises To Target Any UAV Entering Territory

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Commander of the air defense unit in the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in province of Kermanshah has stated that the Iranian air force will react firmly against unmanned aerial vehicles penetrating the country’s aerial territory.

This statement is in continuance with another announcement made by a military high-ranking official that Iran has intercepted a foreign UAV in the Kermanshah province. According to him, interception of UAVs in recent years demonstrates “the precise monitoring and timely tactical measures by the [Iranian] Air Defense Forces”. He added that last year, Iran has issued warnings to 12 unidentified flights, causing them to leave Iran’s aerial territory.

This isn’t the first time Iran has intercepted unmanned aerial vehicles in its aerial territory. In October 2014, for example, IRGC claimed to have intercepted via ground-to-air missile an Israeli Hermes spy drone which was on its way to the nuclear facility in the city of Natanz. The IRGC also claimed to have intercepted an american ScanEagle UAV after it entered its aerial territory while gathering intelligence over the persian gulf. Iran has not wasted the technological treasure which fell into its hands, but turned immediately to make an exact replica of the vehicle in order to prove the Islamic republic’s technological capabilities. Later it even gave it as a present to Russian and promised it could make many more such UAVs. The west, with Israel included, is highly doubtful of these public brags published constantly by the Iranians.

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Iran giving away American technological secrets to Russia would also be a signal to Washington that this is only the beginning of such secrets being given to Russia. But we mustn’t forget that technological information which arrives to Iran could also make its way to Hezbollah. About a year ago, it was already reported that Hezbollah has allegedly bombed Jabhat Al Nusra targets in the city of  Arsal on the Syrian-Lebanese border. Iran has confirmed that Hezbollah, who only operated intelligence UAVs up until that point, has received and made use of the attack unmanned vehicle. If the information about such attack UAVs in the hands of Hezbollah is true, what might be the ramifications on the warfare we’ll encounter in the third war in Lebanon, should it start? Will Hezbollah’s UAV be able to hit, while on the move, IDF forces headed to south Lebanon?

Despite understandable doubts by Israel and west regarding Iran’s technological abilities, defense forces must keep an eye on Iran, who will no doubt be happy to provide Russia and Hezbollah with such attack capabilities, if it hasn’t already.

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