By:Reza Kahlili
09/04/2011

According to the revolutionary guard media outlet, Fars News Agency, The Iranian Defense Ministry delivered large numbers of home-made mid-range surface-to-air missiles to the country’s Air Defense Unit on Sunday in a move to boost Iran’s air defense power and capability.

During a ceremony attended by Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi (He is wanted by the Interpol for the terrorist attack on the Jewish Community Center in Buenos Aires in 1994), the Defense Ministry supplied Shalamcheh missiles to Khatam ol-Anbia Air Defense Base.

Addressing the ceremony, Vahidi said that Shalamcheh is a Mach 3 mid-range missile that can also be used as a short-range air defense system.

The minister added that Shalamcheh is equipped with the latest technology and enjoys a high capability in tracing and intercepting targets and in defusing jamming and electronic warfare.

He said the missile traverses a range of 40km, but meantime underlined that the range of the missile would be increased in future versions and generations.

In April, Iran successfully test-fired Shalamcheh and another mid-range Hawk missile named ‘Shahin’ capable of tracing and targeting aggressive aircraft at low and medium altitudes.

The two Shahin missiles were launched from a home-made air defense system named ‘Mersad’.

The Mersad air defense shield is a completely indigenized system developed by the Iranian experts and technicians to promote the country’s combat power.

The system was deployed in all Army air-defense units to boost the country’s air-defense power.

The Mersad system equipped with Shahin missiles is capable of tracing and targeting any enemy aircraft at 70 to 150km altitude and is considered as a mid-altitude system among the country’s missile shields.