Iran military unveils new air defence system to be used against any air attack from the Israeli air force or US air force. TEHRAN (FNA)- The Iranian defense ministry on Saturday inaugurated the production line of its powerful and high-precision missiles dubbed 'Sayyad (Hunter) 2'. The production line of the missile was launched in a ceremony attended by Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan. "The designing and production of Sayyad 2 missile was brought on agenda to have the needed defensive tool for confronting (possible) air raids," Dehqan said, addressing the ceremony in Tehran today. "The missile enjoys a solid fuel engine with a combined guiding system and high operational capabilities," he added. Dehqan explained that Sayyad 2 is a missile for mid-range and high-altitude air defense systems, designed based on the state-of-the-art technologies which can destroy different types of helicopters, drones and targets with small radar cross-section and high speed and maneuverability within its operational range. Iran successfully test-fired its latest air-defense missile system, Sayyad 2, in 2011. Iran had earlier unveiled Sayyad 1 surface-to-air missile which is a two-staged air defense missile that is capable of destroying targets with low Radar Cross Section (RCS) at low and medium altitudes. The system enjoys the capability to defuse jamming and electronic warfare attacks. Sayyad 2 is an upgraded version and enjoys higher precision, range and destruction power compared with its previous version. Iran announced in August that it has used the latest home-made missile production, Sayyad 2, in its sophisticated S-200 anti-aircraft system. Commander of Khatam ol-Anbia Air Defense Base Brigadier General Farzad Esmayeeli told reporters in Tehran at the time that the country has used "Sayyad 2 missiles in its S-200 defense systems", adding that the restructuring of the system was the result of the industrious efforts made by experts at the Iranian defense industries and his base. In November 2010, Iran successfully test-fired its sophisticated S-200 anti-aircraft missile systems. Iran's S-200 system is a very long range, medium-to-high altitude surface-to-air missile (SAM) system designed to defend large areas from bomber attack or other strategic aircrafts. Each battalion has 6 single-rail missile launchers and fire control radar. It can be linked to other, longer-range radar systems. Each missile is launched by 4 solid-fueled strap-on rocket boosters. Maximum range is between 200 and 350 km depending on the model. The missile uses radio illumination mid-course correction to fly towards the target with a terminal semi active radar homing phase. The Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran (Persian: نيروهای مسلح جمهوری اسلامی ايران‎) include the IRIA (ارتش جمهوری اسلامی ایران) and the IRGC (سپاه پاسداران انقلاب اسلامی) and the Law Enforcement Force[3] (نيروی انتظامی جمهوری اسلامی ایران). These forces total about 545,000 active personnel (not including the Law Enforcement Force).[4] All branches of armed forces fall under the command of General Headquarters of Armed Forces (ستاد کل نیروهای مسلح). The Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics is responsible for planning logistics and funding of the armed forces and is not involved with in-the-field military operational command. Iran's military was called the Middle East's most powerful by General John Abizaid, Commander, United States Central Command (U.S. forces' commander in the region). However, General Abizaid said he did not include the Israel Defense Forces as they did not fall into his area of operations.[5] The Iranian armed forces consist of the Islamic Republic of Iran Army, Islamic Republic of Iran Navy,[18] Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force, and the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Defense Force. The regular armed forces have an estimated 425,000 personnel: the Islamic Republic of Iran Army, 350,000 personnel; the Islamic Republic of Iran Navy, 18,000 personnel, and the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force, 52,000 airmen.[4] Islamic Republic of Iran Air Defense Force is a branch split off from the IRIAF.[19] The Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution, or Revolutionary Guards, has an estimated 120,000 personnel in five branches: Its own Navy,[18] Aerospace Force, and Ground Forces; and the Quds Force (Special Forces).[4] The Basij is a paramilitary volunteer force controlled by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards. Its membership is a matter of controversy. Iranian sources claim a membership of 12.6 million, including women, of which perhaps 3 million are combat capable. There are a claimed 2,500 battalions of which some are full-time personnel.[20] GlobalSecurity.org quotes a 2005 study by the

• published: 09 Nov 2013
• views: 1660