Kaman 12, Iran's Army Air Force achievement in UAV technology

Saturday, 17 April 2021 15:55 [ Last Update: Saturday, 17 April 2021 15:46 ]

Tehran (IP) – Due to the increasing role of UAVs in various military missions and proving their effectiveness in today's combat, the design, development, and operation of these aircraft is a priority for the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force.

Iran Press/ Iran news: In the late 2000s, the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force decided to expand its drone unit and transfer part of its crewed drone missions, especially in reconnaissance drones, and in parallel, began its own design for drones in various categories.

According to information released by the Army Air Force, the 'Mohajer 4' UAV in 2010, 'Ababil 3' in 2011, 'Mohajer 2 Novin' in 2015, and 'Karar' in 2018 joined the UAV fleet.

Using UAVs along with fighters can reduce many costs and make Air Force missions more specialized.

UAVs are one of the main arms in defending Iran's airspace, and this drone power has been achieved while the country has been under sanctions for years.

'Kaman 12' UAV introduction

One of the important achievements of Iran's Air Force in UAVs is the design and construction of the 'Kaman 12'.

This drone is the first combat drone of the Iranian army and has been designed and produced by the Air Force specialists.

Features

'Kaman 12' combat drone, which is the first combat drone of the Army of the Islamic Republic of Iran, is capable of conducting combat operations with point-to-point missiles, as well as electronic warfare and reconnaissance.

This drone is capable of carrying rocket launchers or associated bombs. The range of the 'Akhgar' missile installed on the drone is 30 km. Moreover, this drone has also been shown with 'Qaem' guided bombs.

The 'Kaman 12' combat drone is capable of carrying four 50-pound guided bombs.

This piston engine drone has similarities to the 'Mohajem 92' drone; applying the experiences gained in 'Mohajem 92' with the necessary changes to move to a higher level UAV and the flight continuity resulted in the 'Kaman 12'.

The two-piece wing, non-circular body, prominent nose, and rear tail shape bear significant resemblance to the 'Mohajem 92' but with about double the dimensions. 'Kaman 12' uses wingtips that reduce induction delay and have a positive effect on lateral stability. The outer part of the wing, which is rectangular in shape, has an almost fixed shape and is similar to the 'Mohajem 92' in this respect.

'Kaman 12' is a medium-scale drone with a flight duration of up to 12 hours and the ability to fly at an altitude of 18,000 feet, i.e., about 5,500 meters with a 60-hp piston propeller engine.

This drone needs a runway length of 400 meters without using a flap.

'Kaman 12' is guided by ground stations and can operate automatically.