TEHRAN – Army Commander Ataollah Salehi has announced that Iran intends to implement a comprehensive air defense plan over the course of five years in efforts to completely protect the country’s airspace.

“The systems and equipment required for air defense will be designed and produced over the course of five years so that we can deploy reliable air defense systems throughout the country to completely protect the country’s airspace,” Salehi said in a ceremony held to officially introduce the new commander of Khatam-ol-Anbia air defense base.
In a decree issued on Sunday Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei appointed Brigadier General Farzad Esmaeili as new commander of the Khatam-ol-Anbia air defense base, replacing Brigadier General Ahmad Miqani.
Salehi said experts at the Khatam-ol-Anbia air defense base cooperated with the Joint Chiefs of Staff to draw up a five-year air defense plan which will go into effect after the Supreme Leader’s endorsement.
He went on to say that as the Leader has stated the air defense should be a priority for the Army and the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps.
The Army commander also elaborated on the plan, saying the plan envisages monitoring all the country’s airspace with a network of radars and deploying upgraded Mersad missile systems throughout the country.
On October 23, Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi announced that Iran plans to manufacture upgraded Mersad missile system with longer range.
According to Vahidi, the new generation of Mersad missile system has longer range and more destructive power and is capable of hitting modern aircraft flying at low and medium altitudes.
The Mersad system is also equipped with sophisticated radar signal processing technology and an advanced launcher, and uses domestically manufactured Shahin missiles, which are even more advanced than the 1970s-era U.S.-manufactured Hawk missiles.
The Hawk missile has a range of 15 miles with a 119-pound warhead.
On January 19, an upgraded version of Hawk missile was successfully test-fired near Arak heavy water nuclear reactor.