anti-iranian drone Coalition to Checkmate increasing Threats from iranian armed Uavs

Alarmed with the rise in Iranian investment for developing armed UAVs and drones, Israel and many Gulf States have formed a coalition to effectively counter the emerging threats

By arie eGoZi

I

ran is investing huge sums in developing different types of armed UAV’s and drones. These are already being used against Gulf States and against Israel. The accelerated Israeli effort in developing a laser air defence system, stems from this imminent threat. These armed unmanned systems do not pose a threat only to Israel, but to a long list of countries in the Gulf region. That understanding resulted in the formation of an “Anti-Iranian Drone Coalition”.

In early 2022, the Israeli air force (IAF) revealed that in 2021, two Iranian UAV’s were shot down by two of its F-35, while on their way to Israel. The interception was achieved by the use of different aerial and ground sensors, and according to defence sources by the use of real time intelligence “achieved by a joint effort”.

The coalition members are characterised as “Targets of Iranian Aggression”. Israeli official sources refused to comment on the structure of the coalition. Sources in Israel said that “US sensors in the relevant region are assisting the effort”.

The Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen, announced that in recent weeks it attacked some sites in Yemen that are connected to the operation of the Iranian UAV’s. An Israeli defence source said that in recent months, Iran’s Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) has been increasing the delivery of drones to its proxies in the region and beyond. He noted that now Iranian-backed forces in Iraq, Syria, Yemen, as well as Hezbollah in Lebanon, have received these drones, adding that they were also sold to Venezuela.

According to the Lebanese TV station Al – Miyadin, earlier this year Israeli armed UAV’s that took off from Irbil in Iraq, performed an attack on an Iranian base were Iranian UAV’s were stored. According to the report, six Israeli UAV’s performed the attack inflicting heavy damage to the base and destroyed” hundreds” of Iranian UAV’s of different types.

Israel has never admitted that it is operating armed UAV’s, but foreign media claims that the Israeli air force (IAF) is operating three different types. According to the RUSI Org. website, Israel is operating some types of armed UAV’s including the Israel Aerospace Industries (Heron –TP) with a range of 1000 km.

Israeli sources said last month that all signs are there that the US is actively involved in the operations of the “Anti UAV coalition”. And the Iranian armed UAV’s are not posing a threat only to countries in the Middle East and the Gulf. The Iranians are turning Venezuela to their front base in South America that will facilitate their intention to hit American interests if the Vienna talks about a new nuclear deal, are not successful and the sanctions

continue. The shipments of weapon systems, mainly armed UAV’s from Iran to Venezuela have grew in number and this brought Israeli and American intelligence organizations to follow this activity very closely.

Prof. Uzi Rabi, a senior Israeli experts on Iran told Raksha Anirveda that at this stage, the export of armed UAV’s and drones from Iran to Venezuela is a way of getting the needed financing for the actions of the Lebanese Hezbollah terror organisation, the main proxy of Iran.

“Iran takes advantage of the very poor situation of Venezuela to get a foothold in Latin America and by that to facilitate the transfer of funds to the Hezbollah. This has become the lifeline of the organization,” the expert said.

Israeli sources say that the Hezbollah is Iran’s “contractor” for terror actions outside the Middle East.

According to a research paper written by Tal Beeri, from the Israeli Alma Research and Education Centre, Venezuela, located in the United States’ “backyard” is considered a close ally of Iran, and symbolically, the Iranian leadership considers Venezuela to be part of the radical Shiite axis. Just as the area of southern Syria is a geographical platform used by Iran to create a nearby physical front against Israel, so can the territory of Venezuela be a geographical platform for Iran to operate against the United States from the air. The aerial distance between Venezuela and Florida is about 2,000 kilometres.

“We know that Iran transfers weapons to Venezuela regularly and that these deliveries may also include missiles. We also understand that Venezuela, in particular and South America, in general, has become a base for the IRGC Quds Force activities. While mentioning Iran’s air capabilities regarding Venezuela, it is worth noting that Puerto Rico, whose inhabitants are American citizens, is only about 500 miles away from Venezuela.”

The researcher writes that the “UAV Army” is operated with outstanding professionalism. It is activated against airports and oil fields in Saudi Arabia (by the Houthi insurgents in Yemen and by the Iranians themselves), against American forces in Iraq and Syria (by the Shiite axis militias), and Israeli owned merchant ships in the Persian Gulf (by the Iranians themselves), and opposition forces and ISIS in Syria (by Hezbollah and by the Shiite axis militias), and against Israeli targets in Israeli territory (by the Iranians themselves from Syria or Iraq, by Hezbollah from Lebanon and by Hamas and the Islamic Jihad from the Gaza Strip).

“Some of the UAVs manufacturing plants are directly owned by the Revolutionary Guards and do not just have business relationships with them. Among the manufacturers are: Ghazanfar Roknabadi Industries, Quds Air Industries, Fajr Industries Group, Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Co., Shahid Basir Industry, Bespar Sazeh Composite Co., Paravar Pars Co., and an unidentified special drone production operation in the Iranian city of Semnan”.

According to the Alma Centre publication, the Iranian UAV manufacturing industry is unaffected by international sanctions, and the proof of this is the actual growth of the “UAV Army”. The main reason for the sanctions’ inefficiencies is that many components used in this industry are standard off the shelf components that are easily purchased on the internet. For example, on one Chinese site, the price of a DLE111 engine installed in several UAVs is $500. The acquisition is carried out, among other ways, through procurement agents living in Western countries. The agents purchase the various components where they live and send them to the representatives of the radical Shiite axis. The transportation of the parts worldwide is carried out via the Iranian diplomatic postal platform. Israeli and American intelligence are closely following the export efforts of Iran to try and get an early warning of a developing threat based on the use of armed drones.

–The writer is an Israel-based freelance journalist. The views expressed are personal and do not necessarily reflect the views of Raksha Anirveda The iRanian Uav ManUFaCTURinG indUsTRY is UnaFFeCTed BY inTeRnaTiOnaL sanCTiOns, and The PROOF OF This is The aCTUaL GROWTh OF The “Uav aRMY”. The Main ReasOn FOR The sanCTiOns’ ineFFiCienCies is ThaT ManY COMPOnenTs Used in This indUsTRY aRe sTandaRd OFF The sheLF COMPOnenTs ThaT aRe easiLY PURChased On The inTeRneT