Production Facility For New Antimissile System Opens In Iran

Iran's defense minister has inaugurated a facility to produce the country’s latest antimissile system.

Iran's Fars news agency quoted Hossein Dehqan as saying that the system, named Sayyad-2, was needed to counter possible aerial attacks on the country.

Dehqan said the system was able to "destroy different kinds of cruise missiles, bombers, drones, and helicopters."

The Sayyad-2 system is an optimized version of the ground-to-air Sayyad-1 used against medium-altitude targets.

Iranian state television showed footage of the system in operation.

Dehqan did not specify the range of the system, which was first test-fired in 2011.

President Hassan Rohani said recently that the weaponry was purely defensive.

The United States and Israel have not ruled out taking military action against Iran over its disputed nuclear program.


Based on reporting by AFP and Fars