Iran revealed a new unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) called “Gaza,” claiming that it can carry up to 13 bombs and is equipped with a turbojet engine that can reportedly propel it to distances exceeding thousands of kilometers, putting Israel within range of the new technology.
The new UAV is an upgraded version of the Shahed 129 model, which was first introduced in September 2012. It resembles the Israeli Hermes 450 UAV but is larger.
Iranian sources estimate that the UAV can carry more than eight bombs and is designed to target both mobile and stationary targets. Capable of carrying "Sadid-1" missiles, Iran’s new instrument of war becomes their second UAV capable of such missile capacity, after the "Karar.”
Iran marketing its military arsenal
Since the lifting of UN restrictions on Iran's missile and UAV exports in October, Tehran has been increasingly marketing its military arsenal internationally, raising concerns among the US and its allies. Tehran has been supplying weapons to its allies in the Middle East for years to support their activities.
Iranian weaponry also played a role in the indirect confrontation between Iran and the US, including the killing of three American service members in a January UAV attack in Jordan by an Iraqi militia supported by Tehran.
Recent Iranian defense deals include an agreement to sell short-range ballistic missiles to Moscow, according to American sources, and the transfer of suicide UAVs to the Sudanese government.
"The quality is mediocre, but it's half the price," said a senior Sudanese official when comparing the new Iranian UAV to its competitors.
"I'm very impressed with their medium-range missile technologies," said a senior Qatari air force officer.
Iran's new UAV represents an effort to surpass the US-made MQ-9 Reaper, which in 2020 was used to eliminate Qasem Soleimani.
Jerusalem Post Staff contributed to this report.