TEHRAN, Oct. 24 (UPI) -- Iran's defense minister said his country has succeeded in upgrading and improving its moderate-range Mersad missile defense systems.
Brig. Gen. Ahmad Vahidi told the Fars News Agency the upgraded missile system is capable of destroying advanced airplanes in low and mid altitudes and has the ability to hit a number of targets simultaneously.
Vahidi in April announced the defense establishment had successfully built its first homemade mid-range missile defense system called Mersad, and claimed the new system was superior to similar systems built in the West and is resistant to electronic warfare and can be integrated into radar and air defense systems.
"The Mersad missile defense system is comprised of different target tracing and tracking radars, soft and hardware networks, launch pads for Shahin missiles and a command and control center," Vahidi said.
Russia's failure to deliver the sophisticated S-300 missile defense system to Iran forced the Islamic Republic to develop similar systems, Fars said, noting a top Iranian general commented on the issue some months ago.
"If they do not deliver S-300 defensive system to us, we have replacements and we can supply our operational requirements through innovative techniques and different designs," Gen. Hassan Mansourian, the deputy commander of an Iranian air base, was quoted saying.
