Iran Using Various Types of Missiles for S-200 Air Defense System, Developing Home-Made S-300 Missile System Fast.

Iran Using Various Types of Missiles for S-200 Air Defense System, Developing Home-Made S-300 Missile System Fast.(Fars).Speaking to reporters on the occasion of the National Day of Air Defense here in Tehran today, Commander of Khatam ol-Anbia Air Defense Base Brigadier General Farzad Esmayeeli said that Iran has optimized the capabilities of the Russian-made S-200 systems. "The system has been optimized in detection fields and electronic warfare," Esmayeeli said, adding, "Two new types of missiles will be mounted onto the system." In similar remarks in July 2011, Esmayeeli had announced that the country's experts have been able to optimize the Russian-made S-200 anti-aircraft missile system so well that the Iranian version of the system has stunned Russian experts. In November 2010, Iran successfully test-fired its sophisticated S-200 anti-aircraft missile systems. Iran's S-200 system is a very long range, medium-to-high altitude surface-to-air missile (SAM) system designed to defend large areas from bomber attack or other strategic aircrafts. Each battalion has 6 single-rail missile launchers and fire control radar. It can be linked to other, longer-range radar systems. Each missile is launched by 4 solid-fueled strap-on rocket boosters. Maximum range is between 200 and 350 km depending on the model. The missile uses radio illumination mid-course correction to fly towards the target with a terminal semi active radar homing phase.
Speaking to reporters on the occasion of the National Day of Air Defense here in Tehran on Monday, Esmayeeli said that Iran has already completed 30% of the missile system's production project, dubbed as Bavar (Belief) 373, and expressed the hope that Iran would complete the system by the end of this Iranian year (March 2013) or the next year. "We are through with developing the threat-detection capability of the system and its sensitive parts have been manufactured in Iran," Esmayeeli said, and added, "We have no problem for supplying the missiles needed for this system." In November last year, Esmayeeli had announced that Bavar (Belief) 373 is even more powerful and more advanced than the Russian S-300. "With this powerful system in our hand, we would not think of S-300 anymore," Esmayeeli stated at the time. "Bavar 373 system is an important and completely indigenous achievement that can be a powerful rival for S-300," the commander reiterated. Read the full story here and here.