Iran has announced its own counterpart to the Switchblade 300 kamikaze drone - it is called Meraj-521 and has a range of 5 km
The Iranian military unveiled the Meraj-521 bomber munition. It is the counterpart of the U.S. Switchblade 300 kamikaze drone from AeroVironment.
Here's What We Know
The Meraj-521 has already been tested. It was tested at the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps exercises. The bomber will enter service with the Saberin Special Operations Forces.
The new Meraj 521 short range loitering munition unveiled. 5km range, akin to Switchblade 300 & CH-901. Already apparently handed over to Saberin SOF units
- Iran Defense|نیروهای مسلح جمهوری اسلامی ایران (@IranDefense) October 19, 2022
I believe we've seen a triple launcher for this before a year or 2 ago pic.twitter.com/U5o2QrYBUQ
The kamikaze drone looks like a Switchblade 300. It can stay in the air for up to 15 minutes and has a range of 5 km. The bomber is optionally equipped with three types of warheads weighing from 500 g to 1 kg. A launcher is used to launch the Miraj-521, and it is controlled via a special tablet.
In comparison, the Switchblade 300 has a maximum flight time of 10 minutes, but it can hit targets at a range of up to 10 km. American kamikaze drone is used to destroy light armored vehicles and personnel. The warhead has an explosive charge equivalent to a 40 mm grenade.
Source: @IranDefense
