Iran to Unveil Homemade Defense System

TEHRAN (Tasnim) – A high-ranking military commander says a long-range version of Iran’s homegrown air defense system, known as Talash (Endeavor), will be unveiled in April.

Date: 07 March 2015 - 21:55

News ID: ۱۱۷۸۶

Head of Khatam al-Anbia Air Defense Base Brigadier General Farzad Esmaili said the Talash 3 is compatible with long-range missiles and has been integrated with the S-200 missile system.
He said the homegrown system’s previous versions, employed for short and medium ranges, have already undergone successful operational tests. "The new long-range model will raise fear among the enemies,” he said.
According to Esmaili, integration of Talash with the S-200 enables Iranian forces to shoot down "any kind of enemy targets” in the sky.
Meanwhile, Iran’s navy commander unveiled plans for manufacture of a homegrown version of the Phalanx, a close-in weapon system (CIWS), on board military vessels for defense against anti-ship missiles.
"Research has now started on the Phalanx system to build an Iranian model,” Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari said.
"The Western version of the Phalanx system is the most advanced which the Islamic Republic of Iran will definitely produce,” the commander noted.
Consisting of a radar-guided Gatling gun mounted on a swiveling base, the Phalanx has been used by multiple navies around the world, notably by the U.S. navy on every class of surface combat ship.
Iranian experts have already produced a powerful Gatling gun, dubbed "Moharram”.
The six-barrel weapon is a 50-caliber firearm with the high rate of fire of 2,000-2,500 rounds per minute.
The machine gun can also be mounted abroad a range of military vehicles, helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), warships and destroyers.
In recent years, Iran has made great headways in manufacturing a broad range of military equipment, including air defense systems that use cutting edge technologies.
Tehran has repeatedly stressed that its military might is defensive in nature and poses no threat to other countries.