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Iran Shows Long-Range Drones at Russian Event, State News Reports

Iranians walk near huge Iranian and Palestinian flags hanging on a wall at the Eneghelab square in Tehran, Iran, 12 August 2024. (EPA)
Iranians walk near huge Iranian and Palestinian flags hanging on a wall at the Eneghelab square in Tehran, Iran, 12 August 2024. (EPA)
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Iran Shows Long-Range Drones at Russian Event, State News Reports

Iranians walk near huge Iranian and Palestinian flags hanging on a wall at the Eneghelab square in Tehran, Iran, 12 August 2024. (EPA)
Iranians walk near huge Iranian and Palestinian flags hanging on a wall at the Eneghelab square in Tehran, Iran, 12 August 2024. (EPA)

Iran had put its long-range Mohajer-10 drones on show at a defense exhibit in Russia, Iran's official news agency reported on Monday.

US officials have accused Iran of sending drones to Russia - including Mohajer-10's predecessor, the Mohajer-6 - that Moscow had used in its invasion of Ukraine. Tehran denies this.

IRNA said the more advanced system was on display at the Army 2024 International Military-Technical Forum, an event which runs from Monday to Wednesday in Patriot Park outside Russia's capital.

The report comes as the Middle East braces for Iran's threatened retaliation against Israel after the killing of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on July 31.

Iran released details of the Mohajer-10 system in August last year, saying it had an enhanced flight range, duration and could carry a greater payload.

A video accompanying that report showed the drone alongside other military hardware, with text saying "prepare your shelters" in both Hebrew and Persian.

According to Iranian media reports, the drone has an operational range of 2,000 km (1,240 miles) and can fly for up to 24 hours. Its payload can reach 300 kg (661 pounds), double the capacity of the Mohajer-6, the reports have added.

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India’s Navy Launches Submarine, Warships to Guard against China’s Presence in Indian Ocean

A view of the Indian Navy's three frontline vessels during the commissioning ceremony in Mumbai, India, 15 January 2025. (EPA)
A view of the Indian Navy's three frontline vessels during the commissioning ceremony in Mumbai, India, 15 January 2025. (EPA)
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India’s Navy Launches Submarine, Warships to Guard against China’s Presence in Indian Ocean

A view of the Indian Navy's three frontline vessels during the commissioning ceremony in Mumbai, India, 15 January 2025. (EPA)
A view of the Indian Navy's three frontline vessels during the commissioning ceremony in Mumbai, India, 15 January 2025. (EPA)

India's navy on Wednesday simultaneously launched a submarine, a destroyer and a frigate built at a state-run shipyard, underscoring the importance of protecting the Indian Ocean region through which 95% of the country's trade moves amid a strong Chinese presence.

Defense Minister Rajnath Singh said that the Atlantic Ocean’s importance has shifted to the Indian Ocean region, which is becoming a center of international power rivalry.

“India is giving the biggest importance to making its navy powerful to protect its interests,” he said.

“The commissioning of three major naval combatants marks a significant leap forward in realizing India’s vision of becoming a global leader in defense manufacturing and maritime security,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said while commissioning the vessels at the state-run Mazagon dockyard in Mumbai.

The situation in the Indian Ocean region is challenging with the Chinese navy, India’s main rival, growing exponentially, said Rahul Bedi, a defense analyst.

Bedi said that the INS Vagsheer submarine, the sixth among a French license-built Kalvari (Scorpene)-class conventional diesel-electric submarines, is aimed at replacing aging Indian underwater platforms and plugging serious capability gaps in existing ones. India now has a total of 16 submarines.

The P75 Scorpene submarine project represents India’s growing expertise in submarine construction in collaboration with the Naval Group of France, Bedi said.

India’s defense ministry is expected to conclude a deal for three additional Scorpene submarines to be built in India during Modi’s likely visit to Paris next month to attend the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron.

However, the first of these boats, according to the Indian navy, is only likely to be commissioned by 2031.

India commissioned its first home-built aircraft carrier in 2022 to counter regional rival China’s much more extensive and growing fleet and expand its indigenous shipbuilding capabilities.

The INS Vikrant, whose name is a Sanskrit word for “powerful” or “courageous,” is India’s second operational aircraft carrier. It joins the Soviet-era INS Vikramaditya, which India purchased from Russia in 2004 to defend the Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal.