Iran Equips Army Aircraft with Sophisticated Anti-Ship Cruise Missiles

Iran equipped its warplanes with advanced anti-ship cruise missiles in a bid to boost the country's capabilities in confronting naval threats. Iran started equipping its Air Force fighter jets with air-to-surface Nour cruise missiles in a project dubbed as Qaem. Nour has a range of 120 kilometers. Nour is a well-known cruise missile used by the Iranian army and the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) in different wargames and can be launched from coast, vessels and aircraft against enemy vessels, oil facilities and naval positions. In September 2011, Iran unveiled its 200-km range Qader anti-ship cruise missile with a high-precision striking capability and the Iranian defense industries have mass-produced the powerful missile. The missile enjoys automatic digital pilot system, high-precision navigation systems, high-precision striking capability, anti-jamming radar systems and a rapid deployment capability. Its coast-to-sea and surface-to-surface versions have previously been tested by Iranian armed forces and now the air-launched version of the Qader missile was unveiled by the Iranian Army during the military parades held in Tehran on Thursday on the occasion of the National Army Day. Arming Iranian aircraft and choppers with 200-km range Qader cruise missile will boost the Iranian Armed Forces' power for combating and repelling naval threats.