Iran unveils ‘Gaza’ drone as well as new radar and surface-to-air missile capability

Iran has unveiled three new defense capabilities amid ongoing tensions with the US, including the ‘Quds’ radar system, a surface-to-air missile system dubbed ‘9-Day,’ and a drone called ‘Gaza’ with a 2,000km operating range.

In a ceremony on Friday, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), in the presence of Commander-in-Chief Major General Hossein Salami, unveiled three new pieces of defense hardware developed in Iran. 

Among them is a new drone named ‘Gaza’, reportedly capable of various surveillance, combat, reconnaissance missions with a flight duration of 35 hours. The indigenously made UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) proudly displays its name along the fuselage. 

Iranian media claims the drone can fly more than 2,000km, carrying 13 bombs, in combat missions, as well as 500kg of reconnaissance and communications equipment. The drone’s range puts Israel’s most populated city of Tel Aviv within operating range.

Iran also showed off its new, indigenously developed ‘9-Day’ surface-to-air missile system, which is reportedly capable of intercepting close-range threats such as cruise missiles, aircraft bombs, and UAVs. 

Salami was also present for the unveiling of the ‘Quds’ radar system, which has been produced for fast deployment and can be moved quickly.

Iran prides itself on its indigenously built defense capabilities and has publicly rolled out numerous new systems over the past year amid increasing tensions with the US and its allies. In February, Iran unveiled 340 new missile-firing speedboats shortly after the launch of the forward-base ship, ‘Makran’, a 228-meter converted oil tanker. 

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