Iran Unveils A New Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Called ‘Mohajer-10’
On Tuesday, August 22, Iran showcased a new unmanned aerial vehicle called ‘Mohajer-10’ at a ceremony in the capital, Tehran, commemorating National Defense Industry Day. Many high-ranking Iranian officials, including the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ebrahim Raisi, and Iran’s Minister of Defense, Mohammad Reza Ashtiani, attended the launch ceremony of the new unmanned aerial vehicle, which is claimed to be the latest achievement of the Iranian defense industry.
The Mohajer-10, developed by Qods Aviation Industries, an Iranian state-owned aviation company, is the newest member of the Mohajer family, which includes some of Iran’s most established and well-known UAVs. In terms of design and size, this new system, which is an improved version of the Qods Mohajer-6 unmanned aerial vehicle used by the Islamic Republic of Iran Armed Forces, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, Venezuela, Ethiopia, and most recently Russia during its attempts to invade Ukraine, is similar to the Shahed-149 Gaza and Kaman-22, which Iran previously developed to resemble the American MQ-9 Reaper.
According to Iranian media, Mohajer-10, a Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, can stay in the air for a maximum of 24 hours at an operational altitude of 24,000 feet (7,300 meters). Powered by a triple propeller piston engine, the maximum cruise speed of this new system is 210 kilometers per hour. The maximum fuel capacity of the vehicle is 450 liters, and its operational range is 2 thousand meters. Able to carry a payload of up to 300 kg, the Mohajer-10 can carry six different types of munitions and bombs on a total of four fixed points under both wings. At the Mohajer-10 launch ceremony, for example, the drone was seen with one precision-guided Qaem bomb on each wing, an Almas anti-tank missile, an Iranian copy of Israel’s Spike missile, and an Arman-1 glide bomb. The Iranian media further claims that the drone in question is outfitted with electronic warfare and intelligence systems.
Although Iran has unveiled a number of Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) drones such as the Mohajer-10 in recent years, the fact that none of these vehicles have yet been used on the battlefield raises concerns about whether they can actually meet the claimed specifications.