Brigadier General Hossein Mohebbi made the remarks at a press conference on Saturday, held on the occasion of the IRGC Aerospace Force Week.
Mohebbi said the force has rapidly transferred its missile and drone production lines from the surface to underground facilities, moving beyond underground missile storage complexes to establish “missile production cities” deep beneath the ground.
He said indigenous expertise, Iran’s vast territory and flexible production infrastructure would prevent adversaries from disrupting weapons manufacturing, even under heavy bombardment. He added that production continued steadily despite the enemy’s assumption that Iran’s missile stocks would eventually be depleted.
The IRGC spokesperson outlined the force’s major achievements, highlighting the following:
1. Indigenous aerospace technology: Developing domestic expertise and localizing aerospace industries, transforming Iran from an arms importer into a producer and exporter of advanced military equipment.
2. Mass production and exports: Turning indigenous expertise into industrial-scale production of military equipment, including the ‘Shahed-136’ drone, which he said has been copied by several countries, including the US. He also cited exports of ‘Arman’ missiles, the ‘358’ drones and the ‘3rd Khordad’ air defense system.
3. Military self-sufficiency: Relying entirely on domestic expertise and production rather than foreign weapons, imported components or reverse-engineering captured equipment.
4. Operational capabilities under fire: Maintaining the ability to deploy short- and long-range, light and heavy weaponry and continue military operations despite intense enemy bombardment.
5. Countering enemy aircraft: Mohebbi said the Aerospace Force had intercepted and destroyed more than 260 enemy aircraft and aerial vehicles during the US-Israeli war of aggression, including F-35, F-16, F-5 and F-18 fighter jets, as well as MQ-1, RQ-4, Orbiter and Lucas drones. He stressed that the figure did not include the achievements of the Iranian Army.
6. Sustained wartime production: Establishing flexible production capabilities to ensure the uninterrupted manufacturing of missiles and drones under wartime conditions and heavy bombardment.
7. Missile and drone stealth capabilities: Reducing the radar cross-section (RCS) of missiles and drones, enabling them to penetrate multiple layers of enemy air defenses and accurately strike their targets. He stated that advanced systems, including THAAD, had proved ineffective, while Patriot systems had also suffered failures.
8. Effective deterrence: Establishing deterrence through retaliatory strikes against enemy military and strategic infrastructure, including artificial intelligence and data-processing facilities, which he said forced the enemy to reconsider and halt further attacks.
9. Links with scientific and industrial centers: Establishing close, organized cooperation with the country’s universities, research institutions, scientific centers and industries.
10. Unveiling future capabilities: Developing new military capabilities that Mohebbi described as major surprises, which would be unveiled if a third wave of confrontation with the enemy takes place. He said these achievements would demonstrate the force’s deterrent power and surprise the world.
MNA
