Iran's defense industry records boom spurred by localization efforts

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
13 Mar 2024 17:32

Iran looks to carry on its remarkable defense production development in 2024, seeking to further tap into aerospace capabilities.

Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Mohammad-Reza Ashtiani (R) and the Iranian Army's Commander in Chief Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi talk in a ceremony to deliver the domestically built drones to the army, on January 23, 2024. (Iranian Armed Forces)

Iran's military equipment exports have skyrocketed over the past few years, Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Mohammad-Reza Ashtiani said on Wednesday.

The Minister, who spoke on the sidelines of the Iranian administration's weekly cabinet meeting in Tehran, highlighted the "remarkable progress" that Iran had made in the defense industry, which includes the expansion of military cooperation with regional countries and other states around the world.

"The export of defense products has also increased by about four to five times compared to the last two years, and it will increase in the future following innovations that are being made and the weapons that we are seeking to manufacture," Ashtiani underscored.

In particular, the Iranian defense industry's production of engines for its homegrown unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) has reached levels of self-sufficiency.

"We have achieved self-sufficiency in the field of making drone engines and we are trying to reach higher levels in manufacturing heavier engines," the Minister explained.

However, Iran's progress has not been limited to engine production for aircraft, as the country continues to make strides in several other fields that have awarded autonomy over its military affairs.

"On the path to localization, we have reached a stage where we have domestically produced the bulk of equipment needed by the Armed Forces, which has led to our defense power and resulted in the consolidation of the country's national security," Ashtiani added.

In the Aerospace sector, the Defense Minister said that Iran plans to make "good progress" in the field in the next Iranian calendar year which starts on March 20, 2024.

The Islamic Republic of Iran made strides in several sectors, including cruise missiles, warships, ballistic missiles of different classifications, aircraft, electronic warfare systems, and air defense batteries.

The country drew special attention in several international expos including the Russia Army 2023 Expo in which several Iranian homegrown systems were put on display for international buyers.

Different branches of the Iranian Armed Forces also saw major deliveries of strategic weapons, which extended the country's range of operations and have awarded the Navy, Army, and the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) a variety of long-range options to conduct top-tier operations, while equipping them with effective air defense capabilities.