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Asharq Al-Awsat
Asharq Al-Awsat
World
Asharq Al-Awsat

Iran Shows Off Underground Drone Base

Drones are seen at an underground site at an undisclosed location in Iran, in this handout image obtained on May 28, 2022. Iranian Army/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via REUTERS

The Iranian army has given some details - but not the exact location - of an underground base for its military drones, state media reported on Saturday.

State TV said 100 drones were being kept in the heart of the Zagros mountains, including Ababil-5, which it said were fitted with Qaem-9 missiles, an Iranian-made version of air-to-surface US Hellfire.

"No doubt the drones” of Iran's armed forces “are the region's most powerful," army commander Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi said. "Our capability to upgrade drones is unstoppable," he added.

The Iranian state TV correspondent said he had made the 45-minute helicopter flight on Thursday from Kermanshah in western Iran to a secret underground drone site. He was allowed to take blindfolds off only upon arrival at the base, he said.

TV footage showed rows of drones fitted with missiles in a tunnel, which it said was several hundred meters underground.

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