Defense Minister Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Ashtiani says Iran plans to showcase a new advanced air defense system in the near future.
The minister said on Saturday the homegrown military gear has been entirely designed and manufactured by Iranian military specialists.
General Ashtiani emphasized that the creation of this system aligns with the Defense Ministry’s doctrine of surprising the enemy and formulating diverse scenarios for potential future conflicts.
The Iranian general said the Defense Ministry, in conjunction with knowledge-based firms and experts, has been able to design and produce several surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems like Bavar-373 (Belief-373), Khordad 15, Talaash (Endeavor) and Mersad (Ambush) in recent years.
Integration of new missile defense systems and enhancement of deterrence power will help Iran diversify its air defense prowess and expand the engagement capabilities of its Armed Forces, the defense minister stated.
Back in late August, a high-ranking Iranian military official said the country’s domestically-developed Tactical Sayyad (Hunter) air defense system can intercept several aerial targets at a distance of more than a hundred kilometers.
Afshin Naderi-Sharif, Iran’s deputy defense minister for research and industrial affairs, described the indigenous system as a deployable medium-range ground-based one with special privileges over its counterparts.
Naderi-Sharif said the system is furnished with short-range self-protection capabilities in comparison with Khordad-3 and Khordad-15 systems. He underlined that the self-protection system is fitted in one of the missile turrets of the air defense system, making the weapon immune to potential low-altitude threats.
Iranian military experts and engineers have in recent years made remarkable breakthroughs in manufacturing a broad range of indigenous equipment, making the armed forces self-sufficient.
Iranian officials have repeatedly underscored that the country will not hesitate to strengthen its military capabilities, including its missile power, which are entirely meant for defense, and that Iran’s defense capabilities will never be subject to negotiation.
Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has repeatedly called for efforts to maintain and expand Iran’s defense capabilities.
