TEHRAN: Iranunveiled a new air defense system yesterday it says is capable of detectingmissiles and drones at a range of 400 km, ISNA news agency reported. The"Falagh" is a locally overhauled version of the imported"Gamma" surveillance radar, the semi-official news agency said, in anapparent reference to a Russian-made system of that name. It had beeninoperable due to "sanctions, lack of spare parts and the inability offoreign engineers to carry out repairs", it added.
The unveilingcomes at a time of rising tensions with the United States, which have escalatedever since US President Donald Trump withdrew from a 2015 nuclear deal withIran and reimposed sanctions. Iran shot down a US Global Hawk drone with asurface-to-air missile in June for allegedly violating its airspace, which theUnited States denies.
"This radaris capable of identifying and finding all types of cruise missiles, stealthaircraft, drone systems and also ballistic missiles within a 400-kilometrerange," ISNA quoted army air defense force chief Brigadier General AlirezaSabahi-Fard as saying during the unveiling ceremony.
The Falagh wasalso capable of connecting to the Islamic republic's air defense network andcompleting the coverage of the S-300 missile system it acquired from Russia,the news agency said. Iran installed the S-300 system in March 2016 followingseveral years of delay after a nuclear agreement reached with world powersallowed the lifting of international sanctions. - AFP