TEHRAN (FNA)- A senior Iranian commander underlined that the country’s air defense unit is fully capable of detecting and repelling all aerial threats.
“Iran’s air defense will give a tough response to any threat with its various ground-to-air missiles and weapons, most of which have been upgraded or manufactured inside the country,” Commander of Northeastern Air Defense Unit Colonel Abdollah Reshadi told reporters on Tuesday. He added that Iran’s air defense radar systems can easily detect cruise missiles and drones.
In October 2011, Iran equipped its air defense units with advanced radars capable of detecting Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). Commander of Khatom ol-Anbia Air Defense Base Brigadier General Farzad Esmayeeli said at the time that Iran can trace and shoot down small UAVs over its airspace. Brigadier General Farzad Esmaeili also said that air defense units are closely monitoring overflights of foreign aircraft and are fully prepared to detect and shoot down unauthorized UAVs.
Last week, Esmayeeli announced that the country’s Armed Forces have launched new radar and missile systems with various ranges. Tens of radar and missile systems with various ranges have been manufactured and deployed in Iran’s defense sector so far and new systems are on their way to join the defense network during the 10-Day Dawn celebrations, which began on February 1 to mark the 33th anniversary of the victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran, Esmayeeli said last Wednesday.
Iran has recently renewed and upgraded the weapons and defense systems of its air defense units. Late in September, Iran equipped its air defense units across the country with large numbers of the home-made Mersad Air Defense Missile System. In November and during the massive air defense exercises in Iran, the power, capability, weapons and military systems of the Rapid Reaction units of Iran’s Air Defense Force were tested.
The Iranian Air Defense Force’s rapid reaction units used their state-of-the-art, home-made weapons and systems, including multi-frequency radar equipment, anti-aircraft canons and different types of air defense missiles to force hypothetical enemy aircraft out of the country’s air space. Later in the drills, the rapid reaction units tested their ability against the hypothetical enemies’ surprised night raids and blitzkrieg with full radio silence.
