Iran Uses Captured US Weapons as Models for Developing Its Own

Tehran (ANTARA) – Iran is using a number of US weapons it has captured as a basis for developing its own weapons systems, rather than merely reverse-engineering them.

“US weapons and equipment that we obtained during the second and third imposed wars are undergoing reverse engineering and design,” Ali Balali, an adviser to the commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Force, told Russian news agency RIA Novosti.

The conflicts referred to are the armed conflict between Iran and Israel in June 2025, and the fighting between Iran, the United States and Israel that has been under way since February 2026.

“However, we are not limiting ourselves to reproducing weapon samples; we are applying a number of new ideas to produce our own weapons, which differ from the original models and better suit our needs,” Balali said.

The IRGC previously said it had taken control of several US MQM-170 drones and landed them safely. Iran also reported seizing a US unmanned underwater vehicle in the Strait of Hormuz.

On 28 February, the United States and Israel began launching attacks on a number of targets in Iran, prompting retaliatory strikes by the West Asian country.

In mid-June, the Iranian and US governments briefly signed a memorandum of understanding to end the war. However, the two sides soon resumed attacks against each other. The conflict remains unresolved.