Iran Press/ Iran news: Iran is now among the top 10 UAV powers and is one of the few countries in the world that has a progressive trend in the design, development and manufacture of various types of UAVs.
Among the successful UAVs made in Iran, which also have a brilliant operational history, is the Ababil UAV family, of which different types have been built so far, especially the Ababil 3, which has appeared successfully in various operational scenes. Ababil 3 drone was officially unveiled in 2014 and handed over to the Iranian Armed Forces.
One of the important and distinctive aspects of the parade on April 18, 2022, in Tehran, was the wide and diverse presence of drones belonging to the units of the Army of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The name of Ababil 5, about which there was no official news before, attracted experts and domestic and foreign media.
This drone, which was seen for the first time, is an overview of a drone with reconnaissance and attack capabilities, which, compared to many of the well-known Iranian drones, represents a series of important and effective upgrades.
In fact, the Ababil UAV family is not limited to the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd generations with all its successes and excellent operational experiences, and with the display of the Ababil UAV 5 during the Army Day parade in the current Iranian year, it became clear that the process of upgrading the Ababil UAV family continues. The Ababil 5 drone can be considered a combination of the Mohajer (Migrant) 6 and Ababil 3 drones.
Specifications and features
During the parade on April 18, 2022, three Ababil 5 drones were displayed on mobile tractors. In at least one of the drones and under one wing, two diamond rocket launchers, and in another case, under each wing, three guided and double-barreled Qaem–class bombs were observed.
The Ababil 5 drone has been considered by some experts to be a smaller version of the Mohajer 6 drone, which is capable of carrying six smart bombs Qaem-class series.
Ababil 5 UAV has a range of more than 480 km and is equipped with a Qaem bomb and 4 Diamond-2 air-launched missiles with a range of about 8 km.
Examining the body shape of the Ababil 5 drone, it is clear that in the rear part of the fuselage, especially the tail, there is the same famous H-shaped design that was used in the early models of the Ababil 3 as well as the upgraded Atlas design, but in the front and somehow the nose a more advanced design than the Mohajer (Migrant) 6 drone can be seen.
Images of the drone also show that its wing span has also increased and the volume of portable ammunition in this drone has also increased. The technical specifications of this UAV have not been officially announced yet, but Ababil 5 will probably use the Rotax 914 engine with 115 hp and will have specifications close to the Mohajer 6.
Ababil 5 combat reconnaissance drone, which is very similar to the famous Mohajer 6 drone in design and dimensions, is equipped with four air-to-surface anti-tank missiles called diamonds with a range of 8 km and the ability to "shoot and forget" under each wing and intelligently follows the path.
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Another noteworthy point about this UAV is that the front landing gear of this UAV, based on the available images, can be folded inside the fuselage. This clearly shows that in the design of the front of the Ababil 5, new ideas have been used and we are facing more space, and at the same time removing the gear set from under the drone during flight, provides the possibility of increasing speed and improves aerodynamic conditions.
Although the specifications and coordinates of the Ababil 5 UAV have not been officially announced, but due to its larger appearance and the ability to carry more ammunition, it can be said that the Ababil 5 is probably in a higher rank in terms of durability on the scene, flight altitude and portable cargo in comparison to Mohajer 6.
The development of UAVs such as the Mohajer 6 or Ababil 5 series, in fact, indicates the adoption and continuation of an effective and useful defense strategy in the field of developing UAV capabilities and delegating a large part of missions in the armed forces to these birds.
This is based on the experience gained from the presence and the operation of military reconnaissance drones in the wars of the 21st century, such as the Karabakh war in 2020 and the war in Ukraine in 2022.
At the same time, the vast geography of our country, especially in the eastern regions and borders, has doubled the need to use drones for border monitoring, as well as possible operations against criminals and drug traffickers, as well as terrorist groups.
The significant increase in the drone capability of the Islamic Republic Army in recent years indicates extensive planning to cover this type of area with drones.
The use of the Ababil 5 drone enables an unmanned aerial vehicle to carry out surveillance operations over a relatively large area for a relatively short period of time at a low cost while equipping the drone with a variety of Qaem bombs or diamond missiles gives it significant strike and attack power to perform combat missions.
Written by: Seyed Reza Mirtaher
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