Iran presented a new Karrar drone upgraded with air-to-air missiles as the country’s increasingly large drone fleet has raised concerns in the West.

The Karrar drone has been equipped with the Majid thermal missile with a range of 8 kilometers (5 miles). The Karrar drone, which was first introduced in 2010, has an operational range of up to 1,000 kilometers (620 miles), state media said.

According to Tasnim news agency, the drones will contribute to iranian air defense in all border areas of the country. They are expected to intercept and destroy aerial targets at a much lower cost than manned jet fighters.

The unveiling came during a ceremony at a military academy in Tehran, attended by the commander-in-chief of Iran’s army, Gen. Abdolrahim Mousavi.

“The enemies will now have to rethink their strategies” because the Iranian forces have “become more powerful,” IRNA cited Mousavi as saying.

In August 2023, the Defense Ministry unveiled a new advanced combat drone, dubbed Mohajer 10, that it claimed has a range of 2,000 kilometers (1,240 miles).

The busting of Iran’s arsenal has raised concerns in the United States and Israel and Washington has imposed several sanctions against entities and individuals linked to Iran’s drone program.

Tehran has been accused of supplying its allies in the region with drones, including Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Yemen’s Houthi rebels.

Iranian drones also have been used by Russia in the war on Ukraine.