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Iran claims its drones can now fire AI-enabled missiles
By Ryan Robertson (Anchor/Reporter)
Iran claimed it now has drones that can fire precision-strike missiles enhanced with artificial intelligence. The commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) navy said the regime successfully test-fired the weapons during the recent Payambar-e-A’azam, or Great Prophet, military exercises.
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Video released to Iranian state media from the IRGC, reportedly from the exercise, shows an Iranian-made Ababil-5 unmanned aerial system armed with two different types of missiles, Qaim and Almas. Iran said both of the munitions are AI-enabled but didn’t offer any details on exactly how artificial intelligence is employed in the weapons.
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The IRGC navy commander said during the Great Prophet exercises, Ababil-5 and Mohajer-6 drones fired multiple AI-enabled missiles at simulated enemy targets.
Did Iran test anything else?
The IRGC also used the exercises to launch Navvab missiles for the first time from Shahid Soleimani patrol combat vessels. The Iranian navy also tested its latest explosive-laden kamikaze boat design.
The commander of the IRGC navy said the drills help safeguard national infrastructure, such as gas and petrochemical plants, nuclear power facilities and oil platforms and refineries.
Iran needs new defenses
Iran needs to develop new strategies to protect those sensitive targets because most, if not all, of the country’s air defenses were destroyed in 2024 during Israeli airstrikes.
The Israeli air force isn’t discussing it publicly, but the widely held belief in the intelligence community is that Israel used its F-35 stealth fighters to attack and destroy dozens of Iranian air defense systems.
If those systems and launchers, which were designed to stop jets, couldn’t stand up to Israeli assaults, it’s hard to imagine the launchers and drones featured during the Great Prophet exercises wouldn’t suffer a similar fate.
[Ryan Robertson]
IRAN SAYS IT NOW HAS DRONES THAT CAN FIRE PRECISION STRIKE MISSILES ENHANCED WITH ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE. THE COMMANDER OF IRAN’S REVOLUTIONARY GUARD CORPS NAVY CLAIMED THE REGIME SUCCESSFULLY TEST FIRED THE WEAPONS DURING THE RECENT PAYAMBAR-E-A’AZAM, OR GREAT PROPHET, MILITARY EXERCISES.
THIS IS VIDEO THE IRGC RELEASED FROM THE EXERCISE. IT SHOWS AN IRANIAN MADE ABABIL-5 UNMANNED AERIAL SYSTEM ARMED WITH TWO DIFFERENT TYPES OF MISSILES, QAIM AND ALMAS. IRAN SAYS BOTH OF THE MUNITIONS ARE AI-ENABLED, BUT DIDN’T OFFER ANY DETAILS ON EXACTLY HOW ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IS EMPLOYED IN THE WEAPONS.
IRAN SAYS DURING THE GREAT PROPHET EXERCISES, ABABIL-5 AND MOHAJER-6 DRONES FIRED MULTIPLE AI-ENABLED MISSILES AT SIMULATED ENEMY TARGETS.
THE IRGC ALSO USED THE EXERCISES TO LAUNCH NAVVAB MISSILES FOR THE FIRST TIME FROM SHAHID SOLEIMANI PATROL COMBAT VESSELS. AND THE IRANIAN NAVY TESTED OUT ITS LATEST EXPLOSIVE-LADEN KAMIKAZE BOAT DESIGN.
THE COMMANDER OF THE IRGC’S NAVY SAID THE DRILLS HELP SAFEGUARD NATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE LIKE GAS AND PETROCHEMICAL PLANTS, NUCLEAR POWER FACILITIES, AS WELL AS OIL PLATFORMS AND REFINERIES.
IRAN NEEDS TO DEVELOP NEW STRATEGIES TO PROTECT THOSE SENSITIVE TARGETS, BECAUSE MOST –IF NOT ALL–OF THE COUNTRY’S AIR DEFENSES WERE TAKEN OUT LAST YEAR DURING ISRAELI AIRSTRIKES.
THE IAF ISN’T TALKING ABOUT IT PUBLICLY, BUT THE WIDELY HELD BELIEF IN THE INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY IS ISRAEL USED ITS F-35 STEALTH FIGHTERS TO TAKE OUT DOZENS OF IRANIAN AIR DEFENSE SYSTEMS.
SO, IF THOSE SYSTEMS AND LAUNCHERS–WHICH WERE DESIGNED TO STOP JETS–COULDN’T STAND UP TO ISRAELI AIR FORCE ASSAULTS, IT’S HARD TO IMAGINE THE LAUNCHERS AND DRONES FEATURED DURING THE GREAT PROPHET EXERCISES WOULDN’T SUFFER A SIMILAR FATE.
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