Iranian drone swarms pose ‘credible threat’ to US naval assets: Expert

A military drone expert has warned that Iranian drone swarms pose a “credible threat” to high-value US naval assets as the United States is reportedly attempting at enabling a military buildup in the West Asia region.

Cameron Chell, CEO and co-founder of Draganfly, a drone design and manufacturing company, told Fox News Digital in remarks published on Sunday that the Islamic Republic’s growing reliance on unmanned systems could be used to mount saturation attacks against vessels such as the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group.

“Iran’s drone capabilities are worth well into the tens of millions of dollars,” Chell said. “Iran has developed an effective asymmetric threat against highly sophisticated military systems.”

He said the Islamic Republic could launch large numbers of drones directly at naval vessels. “If hundreds are launched in a short period of time, some are almost certain to get through,” Chell said. “Modern defense systems were not originally designed to counter that kind of saturation attack. For US surface vessels operating near Iran, warships are prime targets.”

The warning came amid reports of the strike group’s trying to reach US Central Command’s “area of responsibility” in the Indian Ocean.

On Iran’s drone edge

Chell said uncertainty remained over new capabilities aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier group to manage multiple Iranian drones flying in formation. He reiterated that Iran’s drone fleet was a serious concern.

“These drones give Iran a very credible way to threaten surface vessels,” he said. “US assets in the region are large, slow-moving, and easily identifiable on radar, which makes them targetable.”

He added that the Islamic Republic’s strength lied “particularly in one-way strike drones designed to fly into a target and detonate.”

The expert said Iran had gained an early advantage in Category One and Category Two drone systems, which could be produced in large numbers and used in asymmetric warfare.

IRGC vows response to US threats

Separately, a senior Iranian military commander vowed that the Islamic Republic would deliver a decisive response to US threats and rhetoric, echoing remarks made by various Iranian officials on the potential of fresh adventurism on the part of Washington.

Brigadier General Seyyed Majid Mousavi, commander of the Aerospace Division of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), made the remarks on the sidelines of a meeting of former and current IRGC commanders held for National Guards Day.

“[Donald] Trump talks a lot, but he should be certain that he will receive his answer in the field,” Mousavi said.

His comments followed escalated rhetoric by the US president threatening fresh military action if, as he put it, Iran confronted sporadic economic protests that began in late December.

Iranian authorities said the protests were infiltrated by riotous elements seeking to incite unrest and that intelligence services confirmed the elements had received American and Israeli intelligence, arms, and logistical support. Iranian forces have reported rounding up ringleaders and confiscated firearms, including weapons bound for Tehran.

Mousavi’s remarks came less than two weeks after he asserted that the IRGC’s Aerospace Division had reached the highest level of defensive preparedness.

At that time, he noted that production of aerospace hardware had significantly increased since the 12-day war imposed on the Islamic Republic by the Israeli regime and the US last June, and that vulnerabilities identified during the unlawful aggression had been fully addressed.

“The IRGC Aerospace Division is currently at the pinnacle of its readiness,” Mousavi said.

Iranian officials have asserted that they would duly address the nation’s economic problems, while standing firmly against efforts to divert protests towards chaos, and use such chaos as a pretext for renewed transgression upon the Iranian soil.

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