Iran Plans to Replace Missile Arsenal

(FNA)- Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Force Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh announced Iran's plans to replace its Fateh, Qiyam and Qadr missile series with a new generation of missiles next year.

"We will abolish Fateh 110 missiles (a short-range, road-mobile, solid-propellant, high-precision ballistic missile with advanced navigation and control systems) as well as the mid-range (high-precision ballistic) Qiyam and Qadr (first generation of air-launched precision-guided) missiles to replace them with new missiles," Hajizadeh said in Tehran on Friday.

He referred to the unveiling of long-range ground-to-ground Soumar cruise missile system last week, reminding that the weapon system has been built built under harsh sanctions.

Iran unveiled 'Soumar' missile system in a ceremony attended by senior military officials and commanders on Sunday.

"The long-range ground-to-ground Soumar cruise missile system has been designed and built by experts of the defense ministry's aerospace industries organization," Defense Minister Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan told reporters after the unveiling ceremony.

"The designing and building of this weapon whose navigation and propulsion systems and its structure enjoy complicated and new technologies is seen as a wide stride taken to enhance the Islamic Republic of Iran's defensive and deterrence power," he added.

Dehqan also announced the mass delivery of Qadr and Qiyam long-range ballistic missiles to the IRGC's Aerospace Force, and said these missiles are capable of destroying different types of targets under any type of conditions due to their tactical capability, sustainability in the battleground and radar-evading features.

He also announced that the defense ministry would deliver upgraded versions of these long-range and high-precision missiles to the Iranian military forces next year.

Also during the ceremony, Hajizadeh hailed Iran's advancements in missile technology under the harshest sanctions imposed on the country, and underlined that Iran would never allow its defense program and cruise missiles become a topic in its negotiations with the world powers.

The Iranian Armed Forces have recently test-fired different types of newly-developed missiles and torpedoes and tested a large number of home-made weapons, tools and equipment, including submarines, military ships, artillery, choppers, aircrafts, UAVs and air defense and electronic systems, during massive military drills.

Defense analysts and military observers say that Iran's wargames and its advancements in weapons production have proved as a deterrent factor.

Iran successfully tested second generation of Sejjil missiles and brought it into mass production in 2013.

Sejjil missiles are considered as the third generation of Iran-made long-range missiles.

Also, Iran's 2000km-range, liquid-fuel, Qadr F ballistic missile can reach territories as far as Israel.

Iran's surface-to-surface Sejjil missile, the long-range Shahab-3 ballistic missile which has a range of up to 2,000 km, and Zelzal and Fateh missiles have all been developed by the Aerospace Organization of the Defense Industries.

This is while the solid-fuel, two-stage Sejjil missile with two engines, is capable of reaching a very high altitude and therefore has a longer range than that of the Shahab 3 model.