On March 5, the attack on Nakhchivan from Iranian territory was carried out with an Arash-2 drone.
Iran's long-range kamikaze-type unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) has been officially put into service by the Iranian Armed Forces and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
The system was developed by the Aerospace Organization of Iran's Ministry of Defense and is primarily intended for striking strategic targets.
Modern.az reports, citing foreign sources, that the Arash-2 system belongs to the category of "loitering munition" – meaning a drone that destroys itself by exploding after finding its target – designed for use against long-range targets in Iran's unmanned strike arsenal.
The system is primarily intended for striking military facilities, infrastructure, and personnel located at long distances.
Arash-2 was first demonstrated in 2022 during exercises of the Iranian Armed Forces. The system was developed for use by the Iranian army and IRGC.
According to information provided in various open sources, Arash-2 possesses the following characteristics:
Type: Kamikaze (loitering munition) UAV
Flight range: approximately 1,500 – 2,000 km
Speed: approximately 180–260 km/h
Flight altitude: medium tactical altitude (exact figure not officially disclosed)
Warhead: approximately 200–260 kg of explosives
Control: pre-programmed coordinates and satellite navigation
Purpose: destruction of infrastructure, military bases, radar systems, and personnel
After approaching the target area, the drone determines the coordinates and crashes into the target, exploding. For this reason, it is called a "kamikaze drone."
Arash-2 is considered part of Iran's long-range strike strategy. This drone can be used for the following purposes:
Overcoming air defense systems
Destruction of strategic targets
Long-range psychological and military pressure
Striking enemy radar and command posts
Iranian officials have stated that these drones are intended as long-range strike assets against potential adversaries in the region.
Arash-2 is considered to have a larger warhead and a longer flight range compared to Iran's other well-known kamikaze drone, the Shahed-136. This makes it more dangerous against strategic targets.
Analysts believe that Iran's kamikaze drones – especially Arash-2 – play a significant role in the country's military strategy. This is because this type of UAV:
is relatively inexpensive to produce,
can cover long distances,
subjects air defense systems to saturation tactics.
For this reason, Arash-2 is considered one of Iran's long-range attack assets among its unmanned strike systems.
