Iran has unveiled “Persian Gulf” and Moraqeb – two locally-made radar systems that it says can detect low-observable aircraft, drones, ballistic and cruise missiles.
The strategic radar systems were presented at a ceremony on Sunday, which was attended by Iranian Army Commander Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi and the country’s Commander of Army’s Air Defense Force Brigadier General Alireza Sabahifard.
“’Persian Gulf’ is a long-range and strategic radar system with an operational range of over 800 kilometers. The three-dimensional phased array radar system can detect all types of conventional and stealth targets, including ballistic missiles,” Iranian state news agency IRNA reported.
Another radar system Moraqeb was described as a three-dimensional phased array radar with high precision and cutting-edge technologies. It is capable of detecting aerial targets with high precision and resolution, with a range of 400 kilometers.
Moraqeb, manufactured as a tactical radar for long-range aerial protection, can identify different small targets and stealth drones at low and medium altitudes. The system was developed under a joint project involving experts from the Iranian Army and local knowledge-based companies.
The Iranian military recently received delivery of three different types of domestically-developed unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), with the equipment to be used by the Air Force and Air Defence units.
“As the drones have been equipped with various types of bombs and missiles, they can be utilized by the forces in combat missions,” Iran’s Defence Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami was quoted by Tasnim news agency as saying on April 18.
The drones – the Karrar (‘Striker), Ababil-3 (‘Swallow-3’) and an unnamed ‘multipurpose jet-engine-powered’ drone – have operational ranges of up to 1,000 km, flight ceilings of 40,000-45,000 feet, and a flight duration of between three and eight hours. They can be used as decoy targets in air defense, and for deception operations inside an adversary’s air defense network.
On April 20, the Second-in-Command of the Khatam al-Anbia Air Defense Base of the Iranian Army, Brigadier General Ghader Rahimzadeh said during his visit to the Army and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC) defense systems based in western region that “all movements of trans-regional countries, especially within neighboring countries located on the western border, are under the constant watch of the country’s integrated air defense network.”
“Examining the level of accuracy in implementing instructions issued by the country’s air defense operations center, as well as operational capability of the new and upgraded defense systems in radar, missile and intelligence fields are the main aim of the visit,” Rahimzadeh said, adding that the performance and preparedness of Iran’s air defense systems are constantly monitored by the Air Defense Operations Center.
Rahimzadeh’s remarks came in response to recent claims by the US Navy that 11 Iranian ships repeatedly made “dangerous actions” towards American military vessels in the Persian Gulf.
Referring to the recent confrontation between the vessels of the IRGC and US forces, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Seyyed Abbas Mousavi said in a press conference on Monday that “we principally consider foreigners and American presence in the region as provocative and illegal. This is our region and we have to ensure its security by carrying out patrols.”
“As far as we know, American forces had blocked Iranian forces’ patrol and they have received the response,” Mousavi added.
Source » caspiannews