Iran Launches New Air Defense System, Has Radar That Can Detect Stealth Aircraft From A Distance Of 450 Km

Iran says the Alborz radar is also capable of detecting up to 300 aircraft targets simultaneously. (Twitter/@imp_navigator)

JAKARTA - Global sanctions in the form of a ban on the purchase of weapons have not reduced Iran's military capabilities. On the other hand, Iran's defense industry has made some big leaps, including in the field of air defense.

One of the achievements of the Iranian military was when they successfully shot down one of the United States flagship drones, the RQ-A4 Global Hawk in 2019.

Most recently, citing Sputnik News September 1, Iran announced the induction of six new domestic military projects into its armed forces. However, the country only unveiled two of them to the public, new radar and a command center for an Iranian-made air defense system.

Tehran hopes the latest addition will further enhance the country's ability to defend its territory against stealth and low-altitude fighter attacks.

Iranian Air Defense General Alireza Sabahi Fard praised the new equipment, developed and manufactured in Iran, for strengthening the country's defense capabilities.

Iranian Alborz radar. (Twitter @imp_navigator)

"Today, (Iran's) air defense has reached a level of combat capability that does not require (assistance) from other countries", Fard said.

Among the new weapon systems for the Iranian Armed Forces, there is the "Alborz" three-dimensional array radar, which is capable of detecting aerial targets equipped with stealth technology from a distance of 450 kilometers (km).

General Fard said this radar made radar avoidance technology useless. In addition, Alborz is also said to be able to detect up to 300 aircraft targets simultaneously.

Another addition to the Iranian Air Force is the 'Borhan' command and control system. It collects information from all connected radars, such as the Alborz, analyzes the data, and instructs the battery to fire missiles to intercept the selected target.

Iran says the system can work in a variety of conditions, including during radar jamming and 'diversion operations', as well as being capable of dropping targets at low altitudes.

To note, Iran is developing its domestic defense industry, in line with UN Security Council sanctions related to the purchase of weapons systems from other countries.

Over the past few years, Tehran has made several technological leaps in the defense industry, producing domestic drones, missiles, fighter jets, military ships, and air defense systems.