Iran developed capabilities to intercept, target US-made F-35s
A senior Iranian commander says the country's Armed Forces and IRGC continue to research and develop new military capabilities to adapt to new threats.
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Iran's anti-air system Khordad 15 was revealed by Iran on June 9, 2019 (Iranian Defense Ministry)
Iran has achieved significant technological breakthroughs in its defense industry, enabling it to detect, target, and intercept cutting-edge US-made F-35 fighter jets, the chief of the Self-Sufficiency Research Organization of the Army Air Defense Force told Mehr News Agency.
The global race to develop advanced hardware used in air offense is being met with air defenses crucial to defend against the rising threats, General Samad Agha-Mohammadi said.
Iran's Armed Forces and the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) are continuously researching and observing developments made by world countries in the defense field, with the aim to upgrade the country's systems to counter any threats.
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"We try our research to be useful and practical for at least the next twenty years," Agha-Mohammadi told the agency.
"Various actions have been taken in the field of confronting micro air vehicles in the Air Defense Force," the senior army commander said referring to small drones, adding that the Army can either directly target them or intercept them by employing other methods, including targeted electronic disruption and cyber warfare, placing the Islamic Republic in a good position with regard to capabilities in confronting these offensive mechanisms.
"Regarding the drones, we work in the field of air defense in two ways: using drones and countering drones," he said confirming Iran's capabilities of producing powerful and effective drones.
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Meanwhile, regarding countering drones, "low altitude systems such as Khatam and Majid are used."
However, not all systems have been publicly revealed, he stressed, noting that some of the systems will be unveiled in the near future.
The Islamic Republic of Iran is combat-ready to repel any threat.
"In the past decades, we have been able to fend off all the threats around the borders by relying solely on domestic power," Agha-Mohammadi added.
Progress was also made in laser systems, which are employed in electronic jamming and target deception.
"We have developed a variety of jamming and counter-jamming systems because we believe that the future of warfare will move towards electronic warfare and cyber operations."
Tactical Sayyad
Last week, Iran unveiled an advanced anti-air system, named Tactical Sayyad, that can simultaneously identify 24 targets at a distance of 180 kilometers and engage with 12 targets simultaneously.
Iranian Deputy Defense Minister for Research and Industrial Affairs, Afshin Naderi Sharif, stated that the domestically developed air defense system is appropriate for responding to targets at medium altitudes.
He also pointed out that the new missile system's self-protection technology provided an edge over the Khordad-3 and Khordad-15 air defense systems. Since the radars and missile launchers were combined into one vehicle, the official remarked that the new air defense system had improved in agility, he continued.
