The commander of the Khatam-ol-Anbiya Air Defense Base announces that
Iranian air defense units have been equipped with new domestically
manufactured radar systems.
In an interview with the Persian service of IRNA published on Sunday,
Brigadier General Farzad Esmaeili said that the new generation of VHF
and HF radar systems, which have been designed and manufactured by
Iranian experts, are being used at air defense bases across the
country.
He also said that Samen, Shahab, and Matla-ol-fajr radar systems are
“completely indigenous” systems which are able to quickly identify and
track small flying targets.
He added that the country’s air defense units are now able to track
aircraft using various radar systems which can operate at various
frequency ranges.
Iran has tested anti-air and anti-ship missiles and unveiled a new
drone, its powerful Revolutionary Guards said on Monday, in a show of
military readiness for a war with Israel their chief says is inevitable.
Medium-range surface-to-air missiles designed to knock attacking
aircraft out of the sky at a range of 50 kilometers (30 miles) were
successfully fired on Monday, the Guards said in a statement on their
official Sepahnews website.
The new, Taer-2 missiles were part of an anti-air defense system known as Ra'ad (Thunder), the statement said.
The Fars news agency called the domestically made missiles "more
advanced" than the Russian-made Buk family of missiles they were based
on.
Rear Admiral Ali Fadavi, the commander of the Guards' navy, also said
that on Sunday a naval drill was held in which four missiles hit a
warship-sized target, sinking it in 50 seconds, according to Fars.
"We have missile systems that cover all the Persian Gulf coasts and
the American bases [in the region]," he was quoted as saying.
He added that the Revolutionary Guards would in the next six months
hold "big naval maneuvers in the Strait of Hormuz," the strategic,
narrow channel at the Gulf's entrance through which a third of the
world's seaborne traded oil passes.
Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, the commander of the Guards'
aerospace division charged with missile defense, also announced a new
drone, dubbed Shahed 129, with a range of 2,000 kilometers (1,200
miles).
Iran is on the point of being able to build a nuclear weapon within six or seven months and U.S. President Barack Obama has clearly set in Tehran a "red line" not to cross said Benjamin now Netanyahu.
Speaking on U.S. television, the Israeli prime minister said that Iran completed by mid-2013 90% of the way allowing him to have enough enriched uranium to make a nuclear bomb.
He urged the United States to impose a limit on the Islamic Republic not to cross or risk military intervention that Barack Obama refuses to do."We must draw the red line in front of them now, before it is too late," Netanyahu said during the show "Meet the Press" on NBC.Such an initiative would probably just do not have recourse to force, he added.
Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Commander Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari announced on Sunday that Iran has increased the targeting precision of its Zelzal rockets.
Speaking to reporters in a press conference here in Tehran on Sunday, Major General Jafari elaborated on the latest achievements of the IRGC in missile technology, and said that his forces have narrowed the margin of error of the Zelzal rockets.
"These rockets which have been produced around 15 to 20 years ago can fly a range of approximately 300km. These rockets did not enjoy proper precision in targeting, but after a recent project, their precision has been increased and their margin of error has been lowered to less than 50 meters," the IRGC commander explained.
The Iranian defense ministry has made great achievements in designing and producing missiles, including the surface-to-surface solid-fuel Sejjil missiles, the long-range Shahab-3 ballistic missile which has a range of up to 2,000 km, and ground-to-ground Zelzal and Fateh missiles.
Tehran: A senior Iranian
Defence Ministry official announced on Sunday that his ministry plans to
unveil a highly advanced cruise missile.
"God willing, Meshkat (Lantern) cruise missile with a range of 2,000 km
will be unveiled in the near future," Deputy Defence Minister and head
of the ministry's Aerospace Organisation General Mehdi Farahi told the
semi-official Fars news agency on Sunday, reported Xinhua.
A
prominent Arab analyst questioned Tel Aviv's military capability to
wage an attack against Iran, reminding that Iran's missile capability is
strong enough to hit and destroy 7 Israeli nuclear facilities,
including Dimona.
In an article published in the Syrian Jouhaina (JP News) news
website, Kafah al-Nasr pointed to Israel's threats against Iran's
nuclear facilities and Zionist officials' dream of waging an attack
against Iran, and stressed that Iran enjoys the capability to repel
Israel's aerial threats.
As regards Iran's retaliation against Israel's potential aggression,
Nasr said Iran's missile capability is much stronger than that of
Israel's, and stated, "Destroying the Dimona nuclear facility in Israel
is easier than destroying any Iranian (uranium) enrichment center."
"Despite all defensive measures, the Zionist regime's air defense is
not able to shield Israel against missiles and can only trace just half
of the incoming (Iranian) missiles and intercept only one fourth of
these missiles. Thus, destruction of Dimona would be inevitable."
The
Iranian military has started construction of its largest air defense base
in Southern Iran, a senior commander announced on Tuesday, August 21,
2012. Deputy Commander of Khatam ol-Anbia Air Defense Base for Engineering
Affairs Mohammad Hosseini further added that the new air defense site
is built in the city of Abadeh in the Southern Fars province.
He said the air
defense base is due to be built at the cost of $300mln and will have
6,000 personnel for a large array of duties, including educational ones.
Official news agency says new version of 'Conqueror' has quicker launch capability, longer life
Iran's
president on Tuesday unveiled an upgraded version of a short-range
surface-to-surface ballistic missile just weeks after it was test-fired,
the country's state-media reported.
The missile reflects Iran's improved military capabilities aimed at "defense" and "deterrence," Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
told a group of defense officials at the ceremony presenting Fateh-110, or Conqueror, according to state TV.
Iran considers both the United States
and Israel
as potential adversaries. Neither country has ruled out a military
strike against Iran's nuclear program, which they claim is aimed at
developing nuclear weapons.
Iran says its program is for peaceful purposes.
Iran will soon start manufacturing a
new missile and an indigenous seaplane, Defense Minister Brigadier
General Ahmad Vahidi said on Wednesday.
“The production line of high-precision missiles and armed flying boats
(seaplanes) will be launched soon,” he was quoted by Press TV as saying.
He offered no timeline for the new products or their basic
specifications.
Iran has been emphasizing its ability to attain self-sufficiency in
defense and produce important weapon systems domestically, especially
after Russia scrapped a 2007 contract for S-300 surface-to-air missile
systems.
Tehran has claimed it can manufacture an S-300 system on its own.
The Iranian military has launched a barrage of missiles at "mock enemy
bases" as part of a major war games exercise aimed at dissuading any
potential outsider attack, the nation's state-run media reported today.
During what is called "The Great Prophet 7" drills, Iran's Islamic
Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) "targeted and destroyed hypothetical
bases of ultra-regional forces set up in desert areas," according to
Iran's Islamic Republic News Agency. The reports did not identify the
"ultra-regional forces" but alluded to the ongoing diplomatic conflict
between Iran and the U.S., which has several major military
installations in the region.
"The main aim of this drill was to demonstrate the Iranian nation's
political resolve to defend [its] vital values and national interests,"
IRGC Brig. Gen. Hossein Salami said, according to another state-run
news outlet, Press TV. Press TV paraphrased Salami's description of the
drills as a "firm response to those who threaten Iran with the option of
military action."
The United States and Israel have for years been locked in a struggle
with Iran over its nuclear enrichment program and the leaders of both
the Israeli and American governments have said that any option --
including military action -- was "on the table"
should it become clear Iran is pursuing nuclear weapons. Iranian
officials have denied the nation seeks nuclear weapons and said Iran is
only enriching uranium for domestic nuclear power purposes.
A day before the drills, Iran's foreign minister Ali Akbar Salehi told
another state media outlet, ISNA, that there is "no option" to end the
nuclear conflict except a "diplomatic and political" one. Any other
option, he said, would not be sought by a "sane" person.
"We have repeatedly emphasized that we are seeking interaction and do
not welcome confrontation, but if they want to act unwisely, they must
be aware that the Islamic Republic of Iran will gloriously defend its
integrity..." he said, according to Tehran Times. "However, I believe
that we will not get to that point."
Press TV said that several different missile types were tested, including the Shabab-3, which reportedly has an operational range of over 900 miles,
meaning it could reach potential targets throughout the Middle East.
The U.S. and its allies have several military bases in the region,
including the home of the Navy's 5th Fleet in Bahrain, a little over 120
miles from Iran's southern border. Israel's eastern border is about 600
miles from Iran's mainland.
While the Iranian news reports described some of the missiles as
"long-range," none of those described are believed to have a range
anywhere near what the U.S. military considers long range -- a term usually reserved for intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of hitting targets more than 3,400 miles away.
The new drills also coincided with fresh tensions that followed a new round of harsh sanctions
against Iran that targeted Iran's oil exports to Europe. Dozens of
Iranian lawmakers have reportedly called on the Iranian military to shut
down the Strait of Hormuz -- a narrow, strategic waterway that connects
the Persian Gulf to the Arabian Sea through which an estimated one-fifth of the world's oil travels. Today The New York Times reported that the U.S. military has quietly strengthened its presence near the Strait of Hormuz as a precaution against such an action.
Iran's complaint against Russia over Moscow's refusal to deliver
S-300 air defense systems in a $800 million contract is under
examination at the relevant international legal bodies, Defense Minister
Ahmad Vahidi said on Sunday.
It is normal for legal proceedings at international courts to “drag on,” Vahidi was quoted as saying by Press TV.
Iran lodged the complaint at the United Nations International Court
of Justice in 2011 over the 2007 contract under which Moscow was to ship
five S-300PMU-1 battalions.
In September 2010, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev terminated the
contract in line with UN Security Council Resolution 1929, which bans
supply to Iran of conventional weapons including missiles and missile
systems, tanks, attack helicopters, warplanes and ships.
Moscow has said it has no plans to resume the sale of S-300PMU-1 systems to Iran.
TEHRAN (FNA)- Lieutenant Commander of Iran's Islamic Revolution
Guards Corps (IRGC) Brigadier General Hossein Salami underlined that
Iran can hit and destroy all mobile targets with its ballistic missiles
with 100 percent precision capability.
"I hold doubt if the US and Russia which once pioneered in the
missile industry have this capability, but as far as our country is
concerned I announce very decisively that we have made this achievement
that we can hit all mobile targets with 100 percent success," Gen.
Salami told Iran's state-run TV Saturday night.
He further reminded that Iran, for sure, enjoys the same capability
with regard to fixed targets, and said, "In regard to other components
of defense power, we are capable of attacking enemy's strategy and its
vital interests in any place and at the same level that it acts."
"And we can act in a way that we will be in charge of escalation control," he added.
"When designing our strategy, we defined a radius of deterrence
which encircles all the strategic interests of the enemy in the region
to enable ourselves to manage the battle if a war breaks out," the IRGC
lieutenant commander added.
In recent years, Iran has made giant progress in missile production.
The Iranian Armed Forces always display the most modern home-made
ballistic missiles during military parades in Tehran and other cities.
The most advanced long-range missile developed by Iran is Sejjil
which is considered as the third generation of Iran-made long-range
missiles.
Iran successfully tested second generation of Sejjil missiles and brought it into mass production in 2010.
The solid-fuel, two-stage Sejjil missile with two engines, is
capable of reaching a very high altitude and therefore has a longer
range than that of the Shahab 3 model.
The missile has boosted the Islamic republic of Iran's defense capabilities.
Speaking to FNA on Tuesday, Lieutenant Commander of the Navy for
Technical Affairs Rear Admiral Abbas Zamini reminded that the designing
and building of Jamaran destroyer, a Mowdge 1 Class
vessel, showed Iran's high technical know-how and capabilities in
manufacturing battleships, and added that the country is already
manufacturing a second generation of the hi-tech vessel.
The construction phase of Velayat destroyer, a Mowdge 2 Class
vessel, is 70% through, he said, and added that the vessel is under
construction in Iran's Northern port city of Bandar Anzali.
The admiral declared that Velayat will be launched this Iranian year (ends on March 2013).
"In addition" the commander stated "construction of other Mowdge and
Sina-class destroyers are underway including Mowdge 3 and 4 projects."
He further announced that construction of a Mowdge 5 class
destroyer, named Sahand, will end in the near future, and the Navy
vessel will be launched this year.
The Admiral noted the manufacture of Sina-class missile-launching
frigates, and said that construction of three classes of this Navy
vessel is on Iran's agenda.
He also mentioned that the Iranian defense ministry and the Navy are
working on four projects to build four different classes of warships,
and said the four projects are called Sina 4, 5, 6 and
7.
Iran's first home-made destroyer, Jamaran, was launched in late
February 2010. The Mowdge Class vessel has a displacement of around
14,000 tons and is equipped with modern radars and electronic
warfare capabilities and is armed with a variety of anti-ship,
surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missiles.
Jamaran is also equipped with different kinds of weapons, including a powerful and smart missile named 'Nour' (light).
Russia gave Israel codes for breaking Iran’s missile defense system in return for codes of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) Israel sold to Georgia, WikiLeaks claims.
The
information was among 5 million emails released this week by WikiLeaks,
which said it worked in cooperation with the Anonymous hacker group.
The leaked information focused on the U.S.-based Stratfor global
intelligence company.
A source identified as “A” was quoted in an e-mail from a Stratfor employee as having heard from a “former Mexican cop” and military analysts that "the Georgians are frantically looking for a replacement for the Israeli UAVs that were compromised.”
The
Israeli-based Elbit company had sold UAVs to Georgia since 2007, and
earlier this month Georgia said it is replacing the Hermes UAVs.
“Met
with my Mexican source/friend again today and dude is getting shadier
by the day. We followed up on our past discussion on Russia compromising
the Israeli-made Georgian UAVs prior to the August war,” said one
e-mail.
“I inquired more about the compromised Israeli UAVs,” it
continued. “What he explained was that Israel and Russia made a swap --
Israel gave Russia the 'data link' code for those specific UAVs; in return, Russia gave Israel the codes for Iran's Tor-M1s [missile defense system].
“I asked about the S-300 (source tracks a lot of defense deals for Jane's). He doesn't think the Russians
will give it to the Iranians. Besides, he said... Israel and Turkey
have been collaborating very closely on the S-300s….The gist of what he
said is that Turkey has been cracking the S-300 since the Crete
sale and has been sharing intel on the S-300 with the Israelis to
ensure that they retain an advantage over Iran should Iran get them from
the Russians.
“SOURCE DESCRIPTION: MX301 - Former Mexican cop, Latam military analyst, writes for Jane's; SOURCE RELIABILITY: A
“The Russians
got the data link for the UAV (there is some suspicion that the
Israelis after the war may have given this to them…. So, since the
Georgian UAVs were compromised, they then tried to sell them to the
Azerbaijanis. I don’t know if that deal went through.”
Iran has issued a stark warning to the West
vowing that response to any hostile action will be 'regretful but destructive'.
As tensions over its disputed nuclear
programme continue to rise General Masoud Jazayeri, spokesman for Iran's Joint
Armed Forces Staff, said: 'We will
rigorously confront any threat or hostile behaviour, and our response will be
definitely regretful and destructive. 'We hope this (kind of behaviour) would not
take place, but if it happens then the history will remember whether the
Americans or the Iranians were bluffing.' The General's words came as Iran claimed it
had produced 'intelligent' laser-guided artillery shells which can spot and hit
moving targets with very high degrees of precision.
Tehran: Iran on Sunday unveiled a new domestically manufactured surface-to-air missile, the Mehr news agency reported.
Defence Minister Ahmad Vahidi said the Shalamche missile, with a maximum
speed of Mach 3 (around 3,670 km per hour)), can be used in electronic
warfare.
Iran unveils surface-to-air missile
The missile is equipped with sophisticated radar signal processing technology and an advanced launcher, the minister said.
Iran unveils surface-to-air missile
The range of the missile, which is 40 km at present, will increase in the future
