Iran Develops Loitering Drone with 450km Range

The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Ground Force claims to have developed a new suicide drone that can detonate targets within a range of 450km.

The head of the Research and Self-Sufficiency Jihad Organization of the IRGC Ground Force, General Ali Kouhestani, told state-controlled Tasnim that Iran has already tested the new unmanned aerial vehicle, dubbed “Me’raj-532.”

The drone is equipped with a piston engine and can travel a distance of 450km in a one-way mission, he said. It can take off from a vehicle, has a service ceiling of 12,000 feet and can stay aloft up to 3 hours, the general added, noting that it can hit targets with high accuracy with a warhead weighing 50kg.

General Kouhestani also stated that Me’raj-532 can be assembled and prepared for flight easily and rapidly, emerging as a suitable option for rapid reaction.