Iran unveils cutting-edge drone, missile arsenal
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The Iranian Armed Forces have showcased their latest military advancements during a ceremony kicking off Sacred Defense Week, featuring a nationwide military parade.
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Iranian Armed Forces unveiled their latest advancements during a ceremony on Saturday, September 21, 2024. (MEHR)
The Iranian Armed Forces unveiled their latest advancements during a ceremony on Saturday morning, marking the start of Sacred Defense Week with a military parade held nationwide.
High-ranking officials, including President Masoud Pezeshkian, were in attendance to witness the display of the Armed Forces' newest achievements.
Pezeshkian stated, "Today, our defensive and deterrent capabilities have grown so much that no demon even thinks about any aggression towards our dear Iran."
He emphasized that through "unity and cohesion among Islamic countries... we can put in its place the bloodthirsty, genocidal usurper Israel, which shows no mercy to anyone, women or children, old or young."
Iranian leader Sayyed Ali Khamenei echoed similar sentiments during an annual meeting of Muslim clerics in Iran, urging Islamic nations to "completely cut off their economic relations" and "weaken political ties" with "Israel".
He asserted, "This inner strength can eliminate the Zionist regime, this malignant cancerous tumor, from the heart of the Islamic community in Palestine and get rid of US domination and coercive interference in the region."
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Iran showcased an unprecedented array of ballistic missiles at the start of Sacred Defense Week, which also featured the unveiling of a new kamikaze drone capable of flying over 4,000 km.
23 ballistic missiles were displayed Saturday, including 2 Kheibar Shekan missiles, 2 Fatah missiles, 4 Haj Qasem missiles, 2 Qadr H missiles, 2 Emad missiles, 3 Khorramshahr missiles, 4 Sejil missiles, and 4 Jihad missiles, as per Tasnim.
The Kheibar Shekan and Sejjil are solid-fuel medium-range ballistic missiles, Emad is a liquid-fuel medium-range ballistic missile, Khorramshahr is a medium-range ballistic missile, Haj Qasem is a ballistic missile, and Fattah is a hypersonic medium-range ballistic missile.
The Jihad missile, which is the latest liquid-fueled ballistic missile from the IRGC Aerospace Force, was shown for the first time and boasts a high-explosive detachable warhead with a range of 1,000 km.
The Islamic Revolution Guard Corps also introduced the Shahed-136B, the latest version of the Shahed-136 kamikaze drone, during the parade.
The Shahed-136 is a delta-wing, low-observable loitering munition with a range of 2,000 kilometers and a 50-kilogram warhead. This unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is powered by an Iranian-made piston engine and can reach speeds of around 200 km/h.
In recent years, Iranian military experts and engineers have achieved significant advancements in creating a wide range of domestic military equipment, enhancing the self-sufficiency of the armed forces.
Iranian officials have emphasized their commitment to bolstering military capabilities, particularly missile strength, asserting that these enhancements are purely for defensive purposes and will not be open for negotiation.
Khamenei has consistently advocated for the maintenance and expansion of Iran’s defense capabilities.
Iran competes with world's top 5 leaders in air defense capabilities
Earlier this month, the Commander of Air Defense Force in northwestern Iran Brigadier General Abbas Azimi said that Iran is among six countries that have achieved long-range surface-to-air missile production capabilities.
At the time, Azimi pointed to the fast-paced proliferation of Iran's homegrown air defense capabilities, which did not exist prior to the Islamic Revolution in 1979. The Brigadier General explained that procuring Iran's air defense equipment and systems depended solely on imports before the Islamic Revolution.
In stark contrast, the country's scientists and specialists now develop and produce radars that can operate in a 300-km radius, Azimi added.
The Iranian commander also noted that the country's air defense force is always on full-time alert regardless of the conditions of war or peace.
Being surrounded by Turkey, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Iraq, and the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic has made the monitoring of the areas by the northwestern force of utmost importance, due to the presence of extra-regional air bases in these countries,
Read more: Iran's 3rd Khordad air defense system: A proven threat to US aircraft
Meanwhile, Commander of the Iranian Army’s Air Defense Force Brigadier General Alireza Sabahi-Fard said that the powerful air defense force of the Iranian army is ready to repel and stand against any possible aggression on the country.
On the occasion of Iran Air Defense Day, Brigadier General Alireza Sabahi-Fard, commander of the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Defense Force (IRIADF), and other air defense commanders attended the mausoleum of the late founder of the Islamic Revolution Imam Khomeini (RA) on Sunday morning.
The Khatam al-Anbiya Air Defense Headquarters (PADAJA) was founded in 1992, and its headquarters experienced a reorganization and enhancement on September 1, 2008. This restructuring was initiated by an order from the commander-in-chief of the Iranian Armed Forces, Sayyed Ali Khamenei, with the aim of protecting Iran's airspace from aerial threats.
This date has since been designated as Air Defense Day.
Today, the powerful Iranian air defense force has all its equipment made by Iranian specialists domestically and is ahead of the most advanced and up-to-date defense in the world, Sabahi-Fard told reporters.
The Iranian defense equipment is built based on the existing threats, he said, adding that the country is “even ahead of these threats and we will use them against the threats.”
Earlier on August 22, Brigadier General Alireza Sabahi-Fard said, "It is an undeniable fact when we say that we are the absolute power of air defense in the region and have a say [in it] in the world."
He underlined that the eight-year war that Iraq inflicted on the nation in the 1980s and the Leader of the Islamic Revolution's directive that the nation must increase its power both aided in the advancement of defense capabilities.
The Iranian Army's Air Defense Force is currently in the best possible shape to defend the nation, Sabahi-Fard reaffirmed.
The general advised enemies against making any miscalculations, warning them that the Iranian Army and Air Defense Force would definitely emerge victorious in any possible confrontation.
Read more: Iran says made breakthrough in defense capabilities
