Iranian experts produced a new type of drone which is capable of carrying out military and border patrol missions, Fars News Agency reported.

The new remote-controlled aircraft, called Shaparak (Butterfly), has a maximum operational radius of 50 kilometers (31 miles), and a maximum flight ceiling of 15,000 feet (4,572 meters), Reza Danandeh Hakamabad, the aeronautics engineer in charge of the project, said on Friday.

The aircraft is capable of three and half hours of non-stop flying, and can carry an 8-kilogram (17-pound) payload.

He added that the unmanned aircraft is powered by a two-cylinder engine, and is equipped with three digital color cameras, that can transmit high-resolution footage to the base on the ground.

Danandeh Hakamabad noted that Shahparak drone can perform a wide variety of functions, including military missions, border patrol, forest and road traffic monitoring, search and rescue, pipeline monitoring as well as transport.