In the video below, Iranian Press TV reveals the latest Iranian “domestically” produced stealth UAV. Their pro-Iranian political analyst, who is based in London, states that America should realize that Iran is a “force to be reckoned with.” He insisted that the new UAV was manufactured to show the pro-American media and world that they can accomplish great things without the help of the West. He then asserts that if Sunni countries had “half a brain” they would no longer rely on America but turn to Iran for support.

Being Iranian propaganda, they did fail to mention their reverse engineering and information gathered from US drones. In particular, it appears to be modeled after the RQ-170, which was lost while on mission in Afghanistan near the Iranian border in 2011. Additionally, the drone’s components may have been influenced by two RQ-11 Ravens and a ScanEagle.

So, it looks like the Iranians have not only copied the RQ-170, but they have also developed something new based on the captured “Beast of Kandahar” whose crash landing in Iran remains a mystery. A sensibly smaller drone that retains the same wing shape as the Sentinel but lacks the frontal air intake of the Lockheed Martin’s stealth drone.

Moreover it’s not clear where does the landing gear (if any) comes out from.

Iran has hunted/recovered two more UAV types since 2011: two RQ-11s and at least one ScanEagle that had penetrated the Iranian airspace from the Persian Gulf.- The Aviationist 

While the reverse engineering of the RQ-170 has been known for some time, the Press News video is entertaining to watch based on its originality slant.

Image courtesy of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards via AP