Iran develops new air defense system

PanARMENIAN.Net - Commander of Khatam al-Anbiya Air Defense Base Brigadier General Farzad Esmaili said Iran has developed a new air defense system capable of diverting and destroying anti-radar missiles, Press TV reported.

On Wednesday, Sept 25, the senior Iranian military commander made the announcement about the Yavar (Assistant) air defense system, saying Iranian defense experts have completed the scientific, research and technical stages of the project.

Esmaili said the main radar and its peripheral equipment were designed in the first stage, and then the missile system was designed and mounted on the Iranian air defense system.

On Sept 22, Khatam al-Anbiya Air Defense Base displayed a number of its military hardware at the Armed Forces parade marking the beginning of the Sacred Defense Week at the end of the month, which commemorates the braveries of the Iranian soldiers who fought in the 1980-1988 Iraqi-imposed war and defended their country from enemy aggressions.

The hardware included Nebo mobile radar system, Kasta surveillance system, Matla' al-Fajr radar system, S-200 missile system, Hog missile system, Shahab radar system and Skyguard defense system.

In April 2013, a senior official of Iranian army said the country will unveil an indigenous Bavar-373 missile defense system, which is similar to the Russian S-300, during the next Iranian calendar year which begins March 21, 2014.

“Although because of U.S. stonewalling efforts, Iran failed to purchase the S-300 system [from Russia], this system is being developed in the country and will be officially unveiled [in the next Persian calendar year],” deputy commander of Iran Army for self-sufficiency and research, Rear Admiral Farhad Amiri said.

The official said the manufacturing of the Iranian S-300 system is underway and its subsystems have been already tested, adding that Bavar-373 missile system is projected to be unveiled in 2014.

Under a contract signed in 2007, Russia was required to provide Iran with at least five S-300 defense systems. However, Moscow refused to deliver the systems under the UN Security Council sanctions against Iran.