Speaking on the occasion of the National Day of Air Defense in Tehran on Monday, Esmayeeli said Iran has already completed 30% of the missile system’s production project, dubbed as Bavar (Belief) 373, and expressed hope that Iran would complete the system by end of this Iranian year (March 2013) or the next year.
“We are through with developing the threat-detection capability of the system and its sensitive parts have been manufactured in Iran,” Esmayeeli said.
“We have no problem for supplying the missiles needed for this system,” he added.
In November 2011, Esmaeeyli had announced that Bavar (Belief) 373 is even more powerful and more advanced than the Russian S-300.
“With this powerful system in our hands, we would not think of S-300 anymore,” he stated then.
“Bavar 373 system is an important and completely indigenous achievement that can be a powerful rival of S-300,” the Commander reiterated.
Under a contract signed in 2007, Russia was required to provide Iran with at least five S-300 air defense systems. However, Moscow’s continued delays in delivering the system drew criticism from the Islamic Republic on several occasions.
In 2010, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev signed a decree prohibiting the sale of Russian weapons, including S-300s, to Iran after the United Nations imposed its 4th round of sanctions against the Islamic Republic.
Iran dismissed Russia’s justification that the ban on the delivery of the S-300 missile system to Iran was in line with the UN Security Council Resolution 1929, and stated that this is an air defense system which is not included in this resolution.
Iran then sued Russia for breach of contract
Source: Fars News Agency - FNA
