Iran unveils attack drone ‘with 2,000 km range,’ – capable of hitting any targets in Israel

November 18, 2013 – TEHRAN – Iran on Monday unveiled a missile-equipped drone with a range of 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles), the official IRNA news agency reported. “The Fotros drone has an operational range of 2,000 kilometers and can fly at an altitude of 25,000 feet, with a flight time of 16 to 30 hours,” Defense Minister Mohammad Dehgan was quoted as saying. Dehgan said the new drone could carry out reconnaissance missions or launch air-to-surface missile strikes. The aircraft was tested “successfully and shows that sanctions imposed by the enemies are not an obstacle to the progress of the defense industry,” the minister told the unveiling ceremony. The drone is capable of reaching targets inside the country of Israel, as the distance from Tehran to Tel Aviv is only 985 miles (1589 km). The idea of such a weapon in the hands of terrorists, committed to the destruction of the Zionist state, is a nightmarish thought that is sure to get Israeli leaders up at night. In recent years, Iran has launched an ambitious drone program, causing worry in the United States and the West. In late September, the elite Revolutionary Guards announced the mass production of the “Shahed 129” drone, which it said has a range of 1,700 kilometers, is capable of carrying eight missiles and can fly for 24 hours. In the same month, Iran unveiled a reconnaissance drone named “Yasseer,” which was said to be capable of flying for eight hours with a range of 200 kilometers and at an altitude of 4,500 meters. Yasseer was based on the US ScanEagle drone, a model of which Tehran claimed to have captured in December 2012 and reproduced since then. The Iranian army also recently boasted that it was producing a series of drones called Rad-85. –Yahoo News TEP