Iran unveils new suicide drone copied from Israeli company

Iran's new Razvan drone, resembling Israel's Hero series, showcases Tehran's reverse engineering capabilities.

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF JANUARY 11, 2025 08:25

Attendees examine a Uvision Hero-400 loitering munition at the Mistral Group, Inc. booth at Special Operations Forces (SOF) Week for defense companies, in Tampa, Florida, US, May 7, 2024. (photo credit: Reuters/Luke Sharrett)

Iran's defense industry revealed a new suicide drone this week—the Razvan—which closely mirrors the Israeli UVision Hero series during a showcase held by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), N12 reported on Friday, citing Iranian media.

The Razvan boasts a range of 20 km and a flight duration of 20 minutes, transmitting live video to its operator for precise strikes.

"Our drones have completed successful operations and, in simulations, neutralized various threats to our bases," stated Mohammad Pakpour, commander of the IRGC ground forces.

In a related development, the Iranian army announced plans to deploy 1,000 drones developed in collaboration with the Defense Ministry, the report noted.

Army Ground Forces Commander Kiomars Heidari emphasized that this fleet would enhance their precision, mobility, and intelligence capabilities. Defense experts, however, note that many of Iran’s so-called "innovations" are thinly veiled adaptations of foreign technology.

Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Commander-in-Chief Major General Hossein Salami reviews military equipment during an IRGC ground forces military drill in the Aras area, East Azerbaijan province, Iran, October 17, 2022. (credit: IRGC/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via REUTERS)

The UVision Hero series, in demand worldwide, appears to be the direct template for the Razvan. Equipped with electro-optical and infrared cameras, Hero drones provide real-time visual feedback, allowing operators to adjust flight paths or abort missions if civilians enter the target zone. They can also be pre-programmed for autonomous missions, offering tactical advantages in combat scenarios.

One prominent model, the Hero 120, has a range of 40–60 km, operates for up to one hour, and carries a 4.5 kg warhead suited for anti-armor missions. The Hero 400 extends the operational range to 150 km with a two-hour flight time; reports indicate North Korea reverse-engineered this model six months ago. The Hero 1250, the largest in the series, can carry a 50 kg warhead, has a range exceeding 200 km, and can fly for up to 10 hours.

Reverse Engineering: A persistent challenge

Israel’s defense forces have long contended with Iranian replicas of their systems. During the ongoing war, Hezbollah deployed the Almas 1 anti-tank missile, an imitation of Rafael's Spike missile series. The Spike family ranges from the Spike SR, a lightweight, 10 kg shoulder-fired missile with a 2 km range, to the Tamuz (Spike NLOS), weighing 71 kg and capable of striking targets 32 km away from land, air, or sea.

The Maoz (Spike Firefly), another loitering munition in the Spike series, weighs 15 kg and has a 1.5 km range, though most variants are focused on anti-tank missions.