Iran Has Deployed 'Suicide Drone' In Strait Of Hormuz

Iran's army has sad it had deployed a suicide drone for the first time in massive ongoing military drills near the strategic Strait of Hormuz at the entrance to Persian Gulf. Iran's chief commander of ground forces described the unmanned aircraft as a 'mobile bomb'. This aerial device is designed to strike air, ground and naval targets. However, the name of the drone was not revealed. The conservative daily Kayhan referred the drone as the 'Yasir' while an online news website called it the 'Raad'(thunder). The Yasir drone, first unveiled last year can fly for up to 10 hours and carry out 360-degree imaging. The Western military officials say the Yasir is the modified version of the American ScanEagle drone. Iran had said in December 2012 that it has seized three Boeing designed ScanEagle drones after they allegedly violated its airspace over Persian Gulf.

Iran is believed to develop its own remotely piloted suicide drone, the 'Raad 85' which is designed to crash into its targets and set off its warhead. The six-day military exercise is being carried out over 527,000 square kilometres near the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway through which one-fifth of the world's oil supply passes. Iran frequently touts advances in its homegrown aerospace industries.