Iran expands AI and drone armada

Iran has made several claims over the last day regarding the expansion of its drone capabilities. One of the claims is that it has received more than 1,000 drones from the Iranian army. A second claim revolves around its use of AI technology for its drones. Both of these are potentially important developments in Iran.

The first Iranian claim is that “the Iranian Army’s Combat Organization has received 1,000 strategic, stealth, and anti-fortification unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs),” Iranian state media said on January 13. “The aircraft, which have been designed and produced in a joint work by the Iranian Army and the Ministry of Defense, were received by the organization simultaneously in several parts of the country on Monday.”

Iran already has a large fleet of various types of drones. These include the Shahed 136, which Iran exported to Russia. Similar types of kamikaze drones have been exported around the region.

Iran has also developed other lines or families of drones, including those that look like small airplanes and those that can conduct surveillance. This is a technology that Iran has invested in since the 1980s and which it has recently relied on in offensive operations.

Why is Iran boasting that it received new drones at this time? In addition, why is it sending them to the Iranian army? The Iranian army is generally not the main destination for new drones.

An Iranian drone and missile are displayed during an anti-Israeli march in Tehran, Iran, January 10, 2025 (credit: MAJID ASGARIPOUR/WANA (WEST ASIA NEWS AGENCY) VIA REUTERS)

Instead, they might be sent to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. It would appear that this is more about bolstering the army’s capabilities than about threatening the region. This is because Iran already has drones in sufficient numbers to threaten the region, including threatening Israel.

Iranian state media says that the new drones have a range of around 2,000km and that they “enjoy high flight durations and destructive power, while they can evade defense layers thanks to their low-level Radar Cross Section (RCS).

On Sunday, Deputy Commander of the Iranian Army for Coordination Affairs Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari said the Army was set to receive new strategic equipment in the coming days.”

The development of drones with a low radar cross-section is important for avoiding radar. Hezbollah already illustrated during more than a year of war on Israel, which included hundreds of drone attacks, that Iranian-style drones are difficult to detect in some circumstances.

The Iraqi militias, which are backed by Iran and the Houthis, also use drones. The Houthis targeted Israel with a drone attack on January 13, illustrating how this technology has transformed the region.


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The 2,000km range that is ascribed to the Iranian drones delivered to the army is a range that is typical of the Shahed 136, illustrating that Iran is rolling out capabilities it already possessed.

AI Development

A more interesting development is a statement by Iranian defense Aziz Nasirzadeh, who “highlighted the Iranian Armed Forces’ advanced capability in drone technology, especially the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in its aircraft,” according to Iranian state media. “The Iranian Army can dominate the sky with its advanced, AI-equipped drones if necessary,” the minister noted.

The report says that AI capabilities are linked to the new drones. “What is showcased in the exercises is only the shareable portion of our capabilities,” he said. “We also possess astonishing equipment, which will be utilized by our Armed Forces if necessary.”

AI revolution in the living room (credit: LG)
It would appear that the defense minister is highlighting these capabilities not only in regards to the new drones but also as part of a wider investment in Iran’s army. Historically, the army was starved of resources, which were diverted to the IRGC. This illustrates a potential shift in Iran’s defense doctrine in the region.

After losing the Assad regime, Iran may want to show that its army is not a paper tiger. This is also important for Iran’s positioning itself in the region, with the incoming Trump administration expected to ramp up sanctions.

Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi, the Iranian Army’s chief, said, “The deliveries, unveilings, and exercises across the geography of Iran and the oceans demonstrate the capacity and readiness of the Armed Forces.” He also mentioned the addition of new technology to the drones, “our scientists inserted the desired new features and requirements into these drones.”

Meanwhile, Iran’s Speaker of Parliament, Mohammed Qalibaf, also praised Iran’s new “missile city” that was recently unveiled in Iran. This is an underground bunker and facility where Iran stores missiles and likely can store drones and other weapons as well.

Iran has built several of these facilities, designed to give Iran the ability to survive any kind of airstrikes and then roll out strike capabilities in the wake of an attack. Qalibaf described the new city that was recently unveiled as a “deterrent” against enemies in the region.

This is clearly a reference to Israel and the United States and any threats that Iran may face in the future. Taken together with the new drones and claims of new technology for the drones, Iran is positioning itself for a year ahead in which it expects rising military challenges.

It also appears to be slightly shifting from its usual investment in the IRGC, back toward the core of Iran. 



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