Drones for military purpose are spreading
throughout the Middle East. In Japan, usually, drone means radio-controlled unmanned
helicopter with multiple rotors for peaceful purpose such as taking aerial
photography at disaster area, new type of home delivery and so on. However,
drones are originally developed for military purposes. They are called UAVs
(Unmanned aerial vehicles) or UCAVs (Unmanned combat aerial vehicles). There
are many types of UCAV, ranging from those that are guided by radio waves from
the ground to those that UCAV itself searches for enemy and attacks them. Today,
IT technology has been prevailing. Therefore, it is possible to make cheap and
high-performance UCAV without state-of-the-art technology. As a result, the
development and production of UCAV became active in Turkey and Iran. They supply
their UCAVs to their allies as a military assistance. Otherwise, they make
money by UCAVs as a promising export product.
Multinational UCAVs are flying over the Middle
East
In Yemen, the government and the Houthis militia
are fiercely fighting. Saudi Arabia and Iran support each side. Civil war in
Yemen looks like a proxy war between the two countries. In the ground battle,
the government forces confront with the Houthis. The Houthis is currently in an
advantageous situation. So, Saudi Arabia, as a coalition force, supports the
government ground forces by air bombing using the US jet fighter F-16.
Meanwhile, Iran provides UCAVs for the Houthis. Houthis uses it to attack targets
in Saudi Arabia. US-made manned jet fighters and Iran-made unmanned UCAVs are flying
over Yemen and Saudi Arabia.
The frequent attacks by Iranian UCAVs against
Saudi Arabian premises have taken place in these days. Major targets of UCVVs
were Saudi Aramco's oil facilities[1]
and Airport of Abha and Jizan in southern province near Yemeni border. Human
casualties were reported there[2].
Now, the targets of Iranian UCAVs expanded to Israeli tanker[3].
The United States, which is hostile to Iran,
is also fighting back with its UCAV. US killed Iran’s General Qasseim Soleimani
who served in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) at Baghdad Airport
in Iraq by MQ-9 Reeper in January, 2020[4].
(The photo: US UCAV ‘MQ-9 Reaper’)
Turkey is also enthusiastic about the
development and production of UCAVs. They used it not only to attack IS
(Islamic State) forces during the Syrian Civil War but also to wipe out Kurdish
forces inside Syria after destroying IS. Now Turkey is keen on exporting UCAVs.
(Cont’d)
By Areha Kazuya
E-mail: Arehakazuya1@gmail.com
[1] Drone attacks strike major Saudi Aramco facility, oilfield
2019/9/14 The Peninsula
[2] Houthi
drone attack on Saudi Arabia’s Abha airport wounds 8, damages plane
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1920271/saudi-arabia
2021/8/31
Arab News
[3] Israel
blames Iran over lethal attack on oil tanker off Oman
2021/7/31
Ahram Online
[4] Iran’s
Gen. Soleimani killed in airstrike at Baghdad airport
2020/1/3
Arab News
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