"The
S-200 system was able to identify the target from a distance
150 km away and hit it in a distance of over 100 km,"
Commander of Khatam ol-Anbia Air Defense Base Brigadier
General Ahmad Miqani told reporters on the sidelines of
the fifth day of the Iranian Armed Forces massive air
defense drills today, adding that the target was an Unmanned
Aerial Vehicle (UAV).
Iran
on Tuesday morning started massive air defense exercises
throughout the country to boost capabilities of its Armed
Forces in defending Iran's airspace. The military exercises
named 'Defenders of the Sky of Vellayat III' cover the
entire airspace of the country and will end today.
Miqani
lauded the Iranian Armed Forces' progress in enhancing
their air defense capabilities, and stated, "Over
84% of (the hypothetical enemy's) offensive UAVs have
been destroyed by different air-defense systems."
Elsewhere,
the commander said Iran's anti-Cruise missile systems
used to be deployed in a limited number of sites in the
past, but Tehran has now deployed these systems all throughout
the country at present.
He
also said Iranian experts have succeeded in identifying
the weak points of Cruise missiles.
Iran's
S-200 system is a very long range, medium-to-high altitude
surface-to-air missile (SAM) system designed to defend
large areas from bomber attack or other strategic aircrafts.
Each battalion has 6 single-rail missile launchers and
fire control radar. It can be linked to other, longer-range
radar systems. Each missile is launched by 4 solid-fueled
strap-on rocket boosters. Maximum range is between 200
and 350 km depending on the model. The missile uses radio
illumination mid-course correction to fly towards the
target with a terminal semi active radar homing phase.
Tehran
launched an arms development program during the 1980-88
Iraqi imposed war on Iran to compensate for a US weapons
embargo. Since 1992, Iran has produced its own tanks,
armored personnel carriers, missiles and fighter planes.
Yet,
Iranian officials have always stressed that the country's
military and arms programs serve defensive purposes and
should not be perceived as a threat to any other country.
