Aerial Vehicles Monitor Borders

Commander of the Iranian Army's Ground Forces said his forces are using various types of aerial vehicles, including drones, to ensure security along the borders. The Ground Forces uses helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles to "thwart any possible plot" by the enemies in the border area, Lieutenant General Kioumars Heydari said in a gathering of military commanders in Tehran on Tuesday, Tasnim News Agency reported. Describing Iran as an "island of stability" in the volatile Middle East region, the general said such security is a result of the presence of powerful armed forces. Iran is now in possession of a broad range of UAVs that can be used for both civilian and military purposes. In December 2014, the Ground Forces for the first time utilized a type of suicide drone in a large-scale military exercise. In August 2016, the force unveiled another drone used for jamming and deception operations in electronic warfare.