Admiral says Iranian Army self-sufficient in producing arms
TEHRAN- The Iranian Army is remarkably self-sufficient in producing military hardware and that “good news” will surface about new drone technology, a senior Army officer says.
Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari, the Army’s deputy head for coordination, made the comment in the midst of a parade marking National Army Day in the capital Tehran on Tuesday.
The Army’s military hardware has undergone significant modifications since the Islamic Revolution’s triumph in 1979, he noted, highlighting that the whole collection of military hardware, exhibited on Tuesday, was indigenous and incorporated cutting-edge technology.
The general went on to say that the army is 90% self-sufficient. “Of course, we will have a better situation in all sectors each year compared to the previous. For instance, until four years ago, the army showed no signs of drone use. However, it now wields significant drone power, and you will soon hear more about drones.”
Sayyari also told reporters that constitutionally the Army is tasked with defending the nation’s independence and territorial integrity.
“Ground Force receives new weaponry”
Brigadier General Kioumars Heidari, who is in charge of the Army Ground Force, also said on Tuesday that the Army has received more than a thousand of new pieces of military equipment.
Speaking on the sidelines of the military parade, the commander emphasized that the Ground Force has developed into a dynamic force that enjoys from new capabilities, including long-range, precision-guided, smart, and network-oriented equipment, in reference to the profound changes created in the structure of the Army over the past few years.
“Navy’s anti-submarine drones operational”
Rear Admiral Shahram Irani, the commander of the Iranian Navy, has also asserted that his forces have used brand-new unmanned aerial vehicles that were designed and produced domestically to find and destroy hostile vessels and submarines.
Speaking with Tasnim, Admiral Irani made the comments while discussing Iran’s most recent developments in the drone manufacturing industry.
He also said that the drone stalks and hunts submarines using a domestic sonar system and other technology.
The commander mentioned that the Iranian Navy is already using the new unmanned aerial vehicle.
In the military parade honoring Army Day on Tuesday, Army units displayed a wide variety of cutting-edge equipment, including domestic missiles, tanks, armored vehicles, unmanned aerial vehicles, radar systems, and air defense missile systems.
The Army’s four divisions, the Ground Force, the Navy, the Air Force, and the Air Defense, staged military parades in Tehran in the presence of President Ebrahim Raisi.
The Mohajer-6 drone, which is capable of transporting guided bombs and advanced surveillance equipment, was one of the significant accomplishments on exhibit during the parade.
Kaman 22, Iran’s first wide-body unmanned combat aerial vehicle, and other suicide drones like Arash, Kian, and Karrar that could be launched from the land or from the sea were also displayed.
There were also displays of the laser-guided air-to-ground Sattar missile, the Fakour-90 air-to-air missile, the Qaem surface-to-air missile, and the 20-kilometer-range Shafagh precision-guided missile.
The Army’s air defense division unveiled a number of domestically developed missile systems, including the Khordad 15 surface-to-air missile system, the Mersad mid-range air defense system, the Nawab medium-range surface-to-air missile (SAM) system, the Nasser 40 navigation assistant radar system, and the Talaash long-range mobile surface-to-air missile system.
Military engineers and technicians in Iran have achieved significant advancements in production of a wide spectrum of homegrown weapons in recent years, making the Armed Forces self-sufficient in this sphere.
Iran has been insisting that its military strength does not constitute a danger to the nations in the region and that the country’s whole defense strategy is built on deterrence.