TEHRAN -- Commander of the Islamic Republic of Iran Navy Rear Admiral Shahram Irani said Saturday his force has equipped its destroyers with domestically designed and manufactured ‘Abu Mahdi’ cruise missiles, which feature state-of-the-art technologies suitable for electronic warfare.
The missile has been named after the former deputy head of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Units who was assassinated along with top Iranian anti-terror commander Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani in a U.S. drone strike ordered by former President Donald Trump near the Baghdad International Airport in early January 2020.
Abu Mahdi naval cruise missile has reportedly been developed by military experts at Aerospace Industries Organization (AIO), a subordinate of the Iranian Defense Ministry and a leading high-tech complex headquartered in Tehran. It is said to have a range of over one thousand kilometers, and can destroy any designated target. The missile is also capable to be launched by diverse types of sea, land and air platforms towards targets.
Rapid response, reliance on an effective target selection algorithm and evasion of the enemy’s missile defense systems are among the most significant features of Abu Mahdi cruise missile.
Iranian military experts and engineers have in recent years made remarkable breakthroughs in manufacturing a broad range of indigenous equipment, making the armed forces self-sufficient.
Iranian officials have repeatedly underscored that the country will not hesitate to strengthen its military capabilities, including its missile power, which are entirely meant for defense, and that Iran’s defense capabilities will be never subject to negotiations.
Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has repeatedly called for efforts to maintain and boost Iran’s defense capabilities.