Iran Builds New Anti-Cruise Missile System

"Experts at the defense ministry have succeeded in building a short-range air-defense artillery system that is able to fire 4,000 shots per minute," Vahidi said in an interview with FNA.

"The system has been produced to confront military threats flying at low altitudes such as cruise missiles," the minister went on saying.

Vahidi stressed that the system will be officially start operation in the near future.

He also pointed out that the ministry is working on different short-range, mid-range and long-range air-defense systems.

Earlier in September 2009, a senior Iranian commander announced that the country's experts managed to build hi-tech missile defense systems capable of tracing and intercepting Cruise Missiles.

"Today, we can not only trace, but also destroy radar-evading Cruise Missiles," Commander of Khatam ol-Anbia Air Defense Base Brigadier General Ahmad Miqani said.

Miqani also described continued optimization of the existing systems, good interaction with universities and industries, building dozens of home-made flaks capable of competing with the world's modern systems and building anti-aircraft missiles and military and civil defenses as among the most important activities of the base.

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, fighter jets and other high-tech weapons. 

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.

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