Air strikes from domestically-fabricated drones have launched Iran into a technological leap forward in its operations in Syria.
Observers and analysts alike have been aware of Iran’s drone capabilities for some time, but it was arms researcher Galen Wright, through open-source geo-tagging analysis, who first discovered Tehran’s use of drones for airstrikes. Wright initially saw images of an Iranian Shahed 129 drone firing missiles on a video clip produced by Iranian media, by analyzing the images of the area where the strikes occurred, he was able to determine the strikes took place between the Syrian towns of Aleppo and Idlib.
“In addition to footage of the drones operating out of Konarak airport near Pakistan, the program featured two short clips of the aircraft striking targets south of Aleppo,” Wright told Foreign Policy’s Paul McLeary.
The Shahed 129 has been witnessed operating around Syria since 2014, but strictly in a reconnaissance role. The drone’s weapons capability is a major step forward in Iranian drone technology.
The last time Iran’s drone program made headlines was in August when a Shahed 129 crashed close to the Pakistan-Iran border. Despite pictures of the crash making rounds on social media, the drone is a capable machine. Ironically, it is believed to be based off an Israeli drone model, despite the fact Iran considers Israel a mortal enemy. It can stay airborne for as many as 24 hours and has an operational range of up just under 1,300 miles. With an eight missile payload, it can provide dangerous firepower as well as traditional observation capabilities.
Iran has been proud to showcase the vehicle in the past. IRGC leaders put it on exhibition in 2013 for Iranian media, though the vehicle has been operational since 2012. IRGC officials also featured an upgraded model in during a rally in February. You can watch a video of the 2013 exhibition below.
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