The UK Ministry of Defense has claimed that Russia is deploying Iranian-made Mohajar-6 drones for reconnaissance missions over the Black Sea and to information assaults alongside the Ukrainian shoreline.
Iran’s Mohajar-6 drone, able to air-to-ground assaults in addition to reconnaissance, surveillance and goal acquisition, was noticed over the Black Sea and Crimea.
Latest Intelligence updatesThe UK Ministry of Defense (MoD) famous that Mohajar 6’s operational vary is roughly 200km with line-of-sight management, which will be prolonged by transferring management to a different floor station.
This replace additionally factors to Russia’s continued possession of those methods in Crimea as Russia seeks to determine potential threats to Russian ports and delivery, particularly within the aftermath of current Ukrainian successes. He identified that this will point out the efforts of the occupying forces.
“The continued presence of this method in western Crimea is probably going proof that Russia is looking for to determine threats to Russian ports and delivery, following current Ukrainian successes. Its mission consists of , there’s a actual risk that it might additionally embrace assist for Russia’s concentrating on course of towards the southwestern shoreline of Ukraine,” the Defense Ministry stated.
The ministry stated no less than one Mohajer-6 was destroyed by Ukraine over the Black Sea in September 2022, and Russia probably shot down an identical drone in Crimea by mistake in June 2023.
The ministry has not disclosed the variety of such drones at Crimea’s Seiki airfield, however satellite tv for pc pictures launched by the UK Ministry of Defense on February 23 present the presence of an Iranian-made Mohajar 6 and related floor station. It has change into.
Meanwhile, in a current improvement, British Defense Secretary Grant Shapps introduced that £325 million ($416 million) could be earmarked for the acquisition of greater than 10,000 superior drones for Ukraine.
The help dietary supplements a £200 million ($256 million) drone package deal introduced throughout British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s go to to Kyiv in January. The Defense Secretary emphasised that Ukraine successfully used weapons offered by the United Kingdom and contributed to the destruction of practically 30% of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet.
“I’m stepping up our efforts to arm Ukraine with new, cutting-edge drones delivered instantly from the manufacturing facility flooring to the entrance line by Britain’s world-leading protection business,” Mr Shapps added.
The UK acknowledges the very important position that drones play in Ukraine’s protection towards Russian aggression and is working with Latvia to spearhead a coalition devoted to strengthening Ukraine’s unmanned capabilities.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has stated that surpassing Russia in drone operations is one in all his high priorities in 2024.
In a big transfer on February 6, President Zelenskiy issued a decree establishing a separate division inside the Ukrainian army solely devoted to drones. The division will deal with creating specialised drone models, increasing manufacturing capability, strengthening coaching efforts, and fostering innovation in drone expertise.
Iranian Mohajar 6 drone
Manufactured by Iran’s state-owned Quds Aviation Industries, the Mohajar 6 is a medium-range fight drone with intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities. This versatile UAV can even carry laser-guided munitions, offering air-to-ground assault capabilities.
Unlike the single-strike Shahed-136 utilized by Russian forces in Ukraine, the Mohajer-6 is designed to return to base after every mission, providing a sustainable and versatile idea of operations (CONOPS). ing.
The Mohajer-6’s cost-effectiveness and excessive efficiency make it an necessary asset for militaries in want of dependable unmanned aerial automobiles. The deployment of Russian forces to Ukraine highlights its strategic significance.
Quds Mohajar-6 – Wikipedia
The fundamental operators of this drone are the Iranian Navy and the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). In September 2022, six Mohajar plane operated by the Revolutionary Guards have been shot down by a US Air Force F-15 whereas en path to Erbil within the Kurdish area of Iraq.
Beyond its affiliation with the Iranian army, the Mohajah 6 has been launched into the arsenals of assorted international locations. It has been battle-tested in numerous theaters and is integrated into the nationwide inventories of nations akin to Ethiopia, Iraq, Syria, and Venezuela.
Ethiopia has employed the Mohajer 6 in operations towards rebels in Tigray, and in Venezuela, the Mohajer 6 featured prominently throughout President Maduro’s speech on future multi-purpose drone manufacturing.
However, Mohajer-6 depends on digital parts obtained from the United States and different Western international locations.
Documents obtained by the Wall Street Journal in November 2022 present that a good portion of Mohajah 6’s parts, together with greater than half of its 200 particular person elements, are manufactured by U.S.-based corporations, making it a notable It has change into clear {that a} vital share can be coming from Japan.