TEHRAN – Brigadier General Amir Hatami, Iran’s defense minister, said on Wednesday that a homegrown long-range air defense system, named “Bavar-373”, will be unveiled later this month.

The advanced air defense system will be unveiled on the National Day of the Defense Industry, which falls on August 22 this year, Tasnim quoted Hatami as saying.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a cabinet session, Hatami announced that the Defense Ministry will put on display some of Iran’s latest air defense achievements on August 22, and promised to announce good news on the occasion.

Bavar-373 is a domestically built long-range mobile air defense system which was developed after the UN Security Council passed a resolution banning the sale of advanced weapons to the Islamic Republic, which in turn suspended Iran’s purchase of the Russian S-300.

However, the restriction was lifted after Iran and six world powers signed a nuclear deal in 2015 that restricted some aspects of Tehran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.

A distinguishing feature of Bavar-373 is its vertical launching system with square launchers, mostly used for air defense on warships.

The missile system uses a long-range, phased array fire-control radar, dubbed Me’raj-4.

It employs three different types of missiles to hit targets at various altitudes.

Iranian military technicians have in recent years made great headways in manufacturing a broad range of equipment, making the armed forces self-sufficient in the arms sphere.

Tehran has always assured other nations that its military might poses no threat to regional countries, saying that the Islamic Republic’s defense doctrine is entirely based on deterrence.

MH/PA