TEHRAN, Nov. 12 — Iran unveiled Monday a home-made hovercraft which can launch missiles and serve as a launch pad for drones, semi-official Fars news agency reported.
The hovercraft, unveiled in a ceremony attended by Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi, has been designed and developed by Iranian experts in two models for combat, “Tondar ” and “Thunderbolt,” and for transportation missions, said the report.
Vahidi said that “Tondar” can be equipped with different types of weapons produced by the Iranian defense industries, including rockets, guns and unmanned aerial vehicles.
“Thunderbolt” can be used “for coastal patrolling, for offensive reconnaissance operations, for mid-range amphibious missions and asymmetric defense, as a personnel and equipment carrier for logistical support for islands and coastal areas, as a command vessel or as a sea ambulance for relief and rescue missions,” he was quoted as saying.
He further added that the new hovercraft will increase the combat and reconnaissance capabilities as well as the mobility of the Iranian Armed Forces.
On Monday, the Iranian army and the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps launched a large-scale joint air defense drill in the eastern parts of the country.
