Alwaght- While the Israelis are living thrilling moments of horor in expectation of Iranian attacks, in Iran the armed forces are being armed with modern weapons. On Saturday, the IRGC navy commander General Alireza Tangsiri told media that the newest missiles and drones of the IRGC sport Artifical Intelligence. He added that in the process of increasing the accuracy and pinpoint capabilities of the missiles and drones, the Islamic Republic has used AI. According to reports, these systems are the most up-to-date surface and subsurface weapons of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps's navy.
What systems and equipment were exhibited?
According to the official report of the IRGC navy, only 210 items out of the 2,654 systems were put to show, and due to security reservations, others were impossible to be displayed.
New anti-ship cruise missiles
The IRGC Navy has announced that a large number of new anti-ship cruise missiles were added to the IRGC navy by the order of the IRGC commander. Here are the specifications of the new cruise missiles:
- They have a high-explosive and undetectable warhead
- Cause severe damage and sink enemy destroyers when they hit them
- They deploy in the southern coasts of the country to target enemy warships
Iran's record of cruise missiles production
Iran's has so far managed to produce a number of cruise missiles to defend its security. Here are six types of cruise missiles:
Ya Ali cruise missile: This missile is the first ground attack cruise missile manufactured by the IRGC Aerospace Force which was unveiled by this institution in 2013. The range of the missile is 700 km, and it has the ability to launch from the ground platform, ships and aircraft such as the SU-22. The engine placed on this missile is turbojet type, and the explosive warhead of this missile weighs 200 kg. Due to the ability to launch from different platforms, it is considered among Iran's vital weapons.
Asef cruise missile: This missile was unveiled in 2022 on the sidelines of the display of underground base of the army as an air-launched missile. This missile sports a high-destruction warhead and has the ability to travel a distance of about 1,000 kilometers. The combat mission of this missile is to penetrate the enemy's heavy fortifications, and because of its air launch nature, it can be installed on SU-24 fighters.
Soumar cruise missile: Soumar missile is one of the best missile systems made in Iran, which is produced in various models. This missile is an evolved type of the Meshkat missile and was inspired by the Russian "KH-55" missile in 2013. Missiles made with this technology are known as Soumar. Soumar is a ground-launched missile that uses a solid fuel booster to carry a 410 kg warhead. The length of this missile is about 6 meters and its weight is about 1,210 kg. The relatively small size of this missile gives it the power and ability to move at very low altitude, and hence it is considered a stealth missile. The range of the Soumar missile is about 700 to 2,000 km depending on the type of configuration, which is less than the Meshkat missile with a range of 3,000 km.
Hoveizeh cruise missile: This missile is also from the Soumar family with the ability to evade radar and have a unique long range. This missile was built by the Air and Space Industries of the ministry of defense and has a flight range of more than 1,350 km, which in operational mode has a maximum range of 1,200 km. The difference in the range of Hoveizeh and Soumar missiles is in the solid fuel booster section and the replacement of the turbojet engine.
Abu Mahdi cruise missile: The Abu Mahdi missile is one of the latest achievements of the ministry of defense to build an anti-ship cruise missile. This missile was unveiled in 2019 and can be launched from land, sea or air platforms. The final range of the Abu Mahdi missile is 1,200 km and its effective range is about 1,000 km, which offers a higher range than Ra'ad and Qadir anti-ship missiles. This missile is equipped with Tolo turbojet engine and has a navigation and guidance system in its nose. The warhead of this missile can carry up to 410 kg of explosives.
Paveh cruise missile: This missile also belongs to the Soumar family, which was unveiled by the ministry of defense in 2014. The final range of this missile is 1,650 km. One of the unique features of this missile is its ability to attack in mass with one system and several missiles. In this method, one missile plays the role of leader and directs other missiles towards targets. Also, this missile uses retractable wings to be able to take different routes to reach the final goal.
Various long and mid-range missile systems
In general, the air defenses are tasked with protecting sea and ground sources and and assets against air attacks. Conventional categorization of these systems is based on effective range and height, which includes short-range, medium-range, long-range, and sometimes strategic systems. The most important missile systems of Iran are as follows:
Bavar-373: This system is comprised of several main parts including, fire command and control center, target tracking radar, target engagement radar and launchers. Bavar-373 missile system is a long-range surface-to-air and self-propelled air defense missile system. Sayad 2, 3 and 4 missiles are used in this system and can destroy the specified targets at an altitude of 32 km and a range of 306 km.
Khordad-3: It is one of the indigenous missile defense systems produced by the IRGC's Radar Defense Research Center. This system has the ability to target fighter jets, bombers and cruise missiles. Khordad-3 missile system was unveiled for the first time in May 2013 during the visit of the Commander in Chief Sayyed Ali Khamenei to the IRGC's Aerospace Force exhibition.
Dey-9: It is the latest achievement of the IRGC Aerospace Force, which plays an important role in improving the deterrence of the country. Given its size and shape, it can be considered from family of Khordad-3 anti-missile system.
Tabas: Tabas is one of air defense achievements of the country which is completely indigenously produced in the Defense Industries of Iran. It was developed by IRGC Aerospace Force's Self-sufficiency Center.
Khordad-15: This system can simultaneously engage and destroy 6 flying targets. Khordad-15 which is considered as one of the fastest defense systems in terms of operation can be prepared for fire in less than 5 minutes.
Ra'ad: It was developed by the IRGC. The battery of Ra'ad is carried by a six-wheel truck that has a special similarity to the Russian Buk M1 and M2 systems and carries three missiles.
Anti-jamming combat, reconnaissance, and kamikaze drones
On Thursday, for the first time, a silent drones were added to the IRGC navy fleet which can appear above enemy vessels for reconnaissance operations. UAVs such as Ababil 5, Ababil 3, Mohajer 6 and Bavar also joined this force, which have combat, reconnaissance, destruction, and electronic warfare capabilities.
Electronic warfare and radar systems
When it comes to radars, it should be mentioned that Iran has up-to-date systems in various frequencies and ranges, from surveillance radars to mobile 3-D control radars that sport the newest technologies. In the field of detection and engagement, especially missile systems that can deal with threats in the post-discovery phase, advanced radar systems are at the disposal of the armed forces. Also, Iran has worked on a wide range of electronic warfare systems to take actions against the enemy drones with electronic warfare.
