"Air defense unit of the Southern Zone is protecting
the Persian Gulf air space well through its skillful personnel,
radar, missile systems, five missile defense systems in
(the Southern port city of ) Bushehr and Khark together
with hundreds of monitoring posts and electronic systems
and fighter jets," Salahian told reporters on Wednesday.
Stressing that his forces are tasked with defending several
Southern regions including Bushher, Shiraz, Khark and
Taheri, the commander warned, "The unit will react
to any kind of aggression through different military tactics,
thanks to its surface-to-air heavy artillery systems."
Iranian officials have announced that the country has
now reached self-sufficiency in producing radar systems
in different frequencies and for various ranges.
Also, Commander of Khatam ol-Anbia Air Defense Base Brigadier
General Ahmad Miqani announced in December that the country's
experts are boosting the range of home-made air defense
radar systems to 3000km.
"Iran is working on a radar system that can cover
areas within a range of 3,000 km," Miqani said, adding
that the system will enable the country to identify all
flying objects around the country.
A senior Iranian Air Defense commander also said in November
that Iran's radar systems can detect all flying objects
in the entire region, even in the Persian Gulf littoral
states.
"In addition to the Southern borders and waters,
all Persian Gulf littoral states are under the cover of
the radars of the Khatam ol-Anbia Air Defense Base,"
Commander of the Air Defense Unit of Southeastern Iran
General Habibollah Alizadeh told FNA at the time.
Referring to the production of radar equipment and instruments
inside the country, he said that Iran has gained self-sufficiency
in producing radar systems and it is no more dependant
on any foreign countries in this ground.
