TEHRAN - Deputy Chief of the Iranian Army for Coordination Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari has praised the Air Defense Force’s achievements over the past decades, and said that domestically-built Bavar-373 air defense system rivals Russia-made S-400 missile shield.
Sayyari said that Iranian Armed Forces have many air defense systems which are all homegrown.
The senior commander urged Bavar-373 as an example, which, he noted, rivals Russia’s S-400.
“During the Iraqi imposed war, Iran only had HAWK surface to air missiles and 23mm guns but the country now enjoys a broad range of such arms and it’s difficult to choose which weapon for use during war games,” he continued.
Sayyari noted that the Iranian Army is also capable of building destroyers, adding that this is while only a few countries in the world have this capability.
The deputy coordinator of the Iranian Army said during the imposed war, Iran did not have submarines but now it does.
As for drones, Sayyari added, Iran produces highly sophisticated unmanned aerial vehicles that use hi-tech equipment.
“The Iranian Army has also made progress in electronic warfare and produces huge quantities of precision munitions with a high explosive power,” commander said.
Iran unveiled the state-of-the-art surface-to-air Bavar 373 (Belief-373) air defense system, designed and manufactured by the country’s experts, in August 2019.
Iranian military officials said the Bavar 373 air defense system is one of the most important defense achievements of the country after the victory of the Islamic Revolution. They believe Bavar-373 missile system is much better than the U.S. Patriot system and its Russian counterpart S-300.
In November 2022, Iran’s Defense Ministry showcased the upgraded version of the domestically-designed and manufactured Bavar-373.
It is a mobile missile defense system designed to intercept and destroy incoming hostile targets. The system employs missiles that have a maximum range of 300 kilometers. The system is capable of simultaneously detecting up to 300 targets, tracking 60 targets at once and engaging six targets at a time.
According to a report in the long-range test of the Bavar-373 system, a stationary target was detected at a range of more than 450 kilometers by the optimized radar of the Bavar 373 system, and it was tracked at a range of about 405 kilometers and was hit and destroyed at a range of over 300 kilometers.
The Bavar-373 system detection radar was said to have increased from 350 to 450 kilometers, and the range of its engagement range has risen from 260 to 400 kilometers, the report added.
It also noted that the missile range has gone from 200 to 300 kilometers, and its engagement altitude has increased from 27 to 32 kilometers.
The Islamic Republic’s military doctrine holds that the country’s armed capability solely serves defensive purposes.
Military officials say the military power of Iran is strong, extraordinary and deterrent despite enemy sanctions and pressures, and hail the country’s defense sector for its remarkable developments in the recent decades. They stress the Iranian Armed Forces’ deterrent power dissuades the United States and Israel from implementing its threats against the country.
Iranian military experts and technicians have in recent years made substantial headway in manufacturing a broad range of indigenous equipment, making the armed forces self-sufficient in the weaponry sphere.
Iranian officials have repeatedly stressed that the country will not hesitate to boost its military capabilities, including its missile and drone power, which are entirely meant for defense, and that Iran’s defense capabilities will never be subject to negotiation.