Western Scientists Collaborate on Drone Technology in Tehran

Scientists from Great Britain, Australia, and the United States, specializing in the development of drone technology, have collaborated with an Iranian university that is under international financial sanctions and known for its close ties to the military, reports The Guardian.

The publication recalls that Iranian-produced drones are actively used in conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, and their development is a priority for the Tehran government. The discussed research report was published in 2023 by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, a global platform for published peer-reviewed research.

The authors examined the potential use of UAVs for creating wireless networks and as communication nodes. "The technology presented in this paper has direct military applications," says Conor Healy, director of public research at IPVM, an American publication specializing in security technology.

According to him, the authors describe "the possibility of creating new communication pathways if the adversary creates interventions," which "has direct relevance to combating UAVs in Ukraine." Robert Chuldan, a professor of international and political studies at the University of Lodz in Poland, states that the research is potentially "very dangerous," and participation in it is "not a good idea for any university."

The study has been co-authored by experts from the University of Southampton, the University of New South Wales (Sydney), the University of Houston, and Sharif University of Technology (Tehran). The listed funding sources in the published report include research councils supported by the UK, EU, and Australian governments.

Sharif University of Iran is subject to EU and UK financial sanctions, and a senior official working there is on the US sanctions list. According to the Washington Institute's report, the rapid development of Iran's drone manufacturing and production program is partly due to research support from Sharif University, which has notably developed gyro-navigation devices that have enhanced range and flight accuracy of drones.

"In the last five years, Iranian-produced drones have changed the nature of warfare. They are known to be used in Ukraine, Syria, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia, as well as against vessels in the Red Sea," writes the Guardian.

Robert Chuldan, who previously worked at Sharif University, argues that all drone-related research conducted there by foreign scientists is utilized by Iranian military forces.