UPDATE 1-Iran unveils drone aircraft to counter "aggressors"

Sun Aug 22, 2010 7:00pm GMT
 

* Latest in stream of new military hardware announcements

* Comes a day after Iran started fuelling nuclear plant

(Adds TV on technical details, paragraphs 8-9)

By Robin Pomeroy

TEHRAN, Aug 22 (Reuters) - Iran unveiled a prototype long-range unmanned bomber on Sunday, the latest in a stream of announcements of new Iranian-made military hardware as tension mounts over its nuclear programme.

On a stage in front of military officials, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad pulled a sheet away from the aircraft, called the Karrar, which Iran says is its first long-range drone.

With the United States and Israel saying they do not rule out a military strike to stop Iran getting a nuclear bomb, the Islamic Republic has showed off new mini-submarines, and a surface-to-surface missile and announced plans to launch high-altitude satellites over the next three years.

The presentation of the drone came a day after Iranian and Russian technicians began loading fuel into Iran's first nuclear power station, something Israel called "totally unacceptable".

In a speech at the unveiling ceremony, Ahmadinejad said Iran should seek the ability to make pre-emptive strikes against a perceived threat, although he said it would never strike first.   Continued...

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