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Sept. 4 (UPI) -- Iran publicly unveiled its latest military drone this week, an event announced in English to make Western audiences aware of it. In a ceremony led by Brig. Gen. Ali-Reza Sabahifard, Commander of Iran's Army Air Defense Force, the unmanned "Kian" aerial vehicle was displayed in downtown Tehran on Sunday.
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He said the missile, developed in two versions, is capable of conducting long reconnaissance and surveillance missions and able to hit target far beyond the borders of the country. The drone comes in two versions, and is capable of surveillance and reconnaissance missions, as well as continuous flight for defense missions.
"This unmanned aircraft is capable of hitting targets far from the country's borders and undertaking air defense from the enemy's territory," Sabahifard said. He added that it can fly over 600 miles and reach an altitude of over 16,000 feet.
Photographs indicate that the jet-powered drone is about 10 feet long, made of fiberglass and relatively unsophisticated, although it can be used to strike targets and carry warheads.
The rollout of the drone is the latest in recent weeks of Iranian-made military equipment. A new radar system was revealed on Aug. 10 and a new missile defense system on Aug. 22. Iran also showed off new "optic bombs" to be used on drones, on Aug. 6, and displayed its new "Mobin" drone in Russia on Aug. 27.
The locally-manufactured equipment comes as Iran's armaments industry faces international sanctions and embargoes. Tensions between Iran and the United States and its allies increased after U.S. President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from the 2015 nuclear arms deal signed by Iran and world powers.
Farsi-language media in Iran downplayed the importance of Sunday's announcement, but official English-language Iranian news sources highlighted it, an indication that the news was directed to Western audiences.
