This file handout picture provided by the office of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Oct 13, 2019, shows Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) cadets during a graduation ceremony at Imam Hussein University in Tehran. (PHOTO / AFP)
TEHRAN - Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps has equipped its ground force with two types of homegrown suicide and combat drones, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on Tuesday.
The "Shahed-131" suicide drones and "Ababil-5" combat drones had been handed over to the ground force to help them better monitor enemies and terrorist groups, the report said.
With a length and width of 2.6 meters and 2.2 meters respectively, the 135-kg Shahed-131 drone has an operational range of 900 km, according to Tasnim.
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The Ababil-5 drone, meanwhile, is equipped with long wings enabling it to carry heavy payloads and a retractable anterior landing gear that improves the performance of its camera, Tasnim said.