Iran has unveiled a new fleet of combat drones with capabilities for vertical take-off and landing (VTOL), signaling a leap in warfare capabilities amid growing tensions with the United States, its state media reported. Newsweek has reached out to the Pentagon and Iran’s foreign ministry for comments. These drones, built for multiple military roles, highlight Iran’s ambitions for self-sufficiency despite sanctions and friction with the United States over its nuclear program and support regional proxy groups. The Islamic republic has followed a strategy to protect its military assets from potential airstrikes and surveillance while highlighting advances that make its potential threat apparent to adversaries. Iran has built three new Vertical Take-off and Landing drones for its armed forces: Homa, Dideban, and Shahin-1, which were unveiled this week at a military drone base in Zahedan, near the country’s southeastern border, according to Iran’s state-run channel Press TV. According to the report, Iran’s navy is the main operator of VTOL drones as most vessels can’t support conventional drones. The Homa VTOL supports electronic warfare and reconnaissance, Dideban enables precision targeting, and Shahin-1 is built for pinpoint attacks on enemy positions. Iran had previously announced developing a range of drone systems and plans to set up new drone bases to counter threats to the country’s sovereignty and unveiled its first drone carrier warship in February.

Full report : Iran Enhances Locally Developed Drone Fleet, Unveils Three New Models.