Iran has unveiled a new anti-ballistic missile system and a new low-altitude air defense system, which have been developed by experts of the Iranian Defense Ministry.
The new systems were unveiled on Saturday in the presence of Defense Minister Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Gharaei Ashtiani.
The new anti-ballistic missile system is named “Arman” which means aspiration in English. The low-altitude air defense system is named “Azarakhsh” which means lightning, IRNA reported.
The newly unveiled systems will significantly boost Iran’s air defense capabilities once they are added to the country’s military fleet.
Arman has been developed in two versions, one with a passive radar, the other with an active radar.
The missiles used in the Arman system belong to the domestically-made Sayyad 3 class, which can simultaneously confront six targets at a distance ranging from 120km to 180km.
Azarakhsh can simultaneously use radar and electrooptic systems to detect and intercept targets. In addition, the missiles used in the Azarakhsh system are heat-seekers, meaning that they use infrared seeking systems.
In another development, the Naval Force of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has received two new home-made combat vessels equipped with medium and long-range missiles.
The two vessels, named Martyr Bagheri and Martyr Shirazi, joined the IRGC Navy’s fleet during a ceremony held on Monday in the port city of Bandar Abbas, the capital of Hormuzgan province in southern Iran.
IRGC Navy Commander Commodore Alireza Tangsiri said both vessels are each 67 meters in length and are equipped with home-made long and medium-range missiles. He added that they can navigate 5,500 nautical miles (9,500km).
Weighing 600 tons and having 4 engines, the newly-added vessels can navigate at a speed of 32 nautical knots (about 60 km/h), he said.
The IRGC Commander also explained that the surface-to-surface missiles placed at these vessels have a range of at least 700 km. The air defense system of the vessels has a range of 90 km, he added.
He further noted that the vessels can carry helicopters and three missile-launcher vessels, while they are capable of conducting close combat in the sea.
