Iran unveils new home-made long-range radar able to monitor low-altitude satellites 3006111

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Defense News - Iran
 

Thursday, June 30, 2011, 04:37 PM
 
Iran unveils new home-made long-range radar able to monitor low-altitude satellites.
 
Speaking about the latest military equipment and achievements displayed by the IRGC in the recent missile drills, Commander of the IRGC Aerospace Force Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh said, "In addition to (underground) missile launching silos, the Qadir radar system which covers areas (maximum) 1,100km in distance and 300km in altitude was put into operation for the first time."
     
Speaking about the latest military equipment and achievements displayed by the IRGC in the recent missile drills, Commander of the IRGC Aerospace Force Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh said, "In addition to (underground) missile launching silos, the Qadir radar system which covers areas (maximum) 1,100km in distance and 300km in altitude was put into operation for the first time."
     
"The Qadir radar system has been designed and built to identify aerial targets, radar-evading aircrafts, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles as well as low-altitude satellites," Hajizadeh added.

The commander said that the radar was tested in the second phase of the IRGC's recent drills, codenamed Payambar-e Azam (The Great Messenger) 6.

In February, Commander of the IRGC Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari had announced that the IRGC has just finished designing and developing long-range passive radars and will soon start their production, adding that the new radar systems cover areas within a 1,100km-radius.

"These radars would remarkably increase the IRGC's capability in identifying sea-based targets," he noted.

Iran has been pushing an arms development program in recent years in a bid to reach self-sufficiency. Tehran launched its arms development program during the 1980-88 Iraqi imposed war on Iran to compensate for a US weapons embargo. Since 1992, Iran has produced its own jet fighters and armored vehicles as well as radar-avoiding missiles and other high-tech weapons.

Yet, Iranian officials have always stressed that the country's military and arms programs serve defensive purposes and should not be perceived as a threat to any other country.