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News Brief — March 1, 2017

Iran's Bavar 373 unveiled in August 2016. Click to enlarge

Iran’s Bavar 373 unveiled in August 2016. Click to enlarge

Iran’s locally developed ‘Bavar-373’ air defense missile system has entered its final phase of technical tests, the Iranian Deputy Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami said on Wednesday.
“A number of tests have been carried out on Bavar 373 missile system, and these tests will continue until the date of delivery,” Fars News quoted General Hatami as saying.
It is thought that those tests will include not only neutralising enemy drones and aircraft but also intercepting incoming ballistic missiles too.
Iran began developing the Bavar 373 missile system after delays in the delivery of Russia’s advanced S-300 air defense system, ostensibly because of UN Security Council sanctions.
Pressure from the U.S. and/or Israel is also thought to have played a part in delaying the agreed sale.
When asked to characterize the capability of Russia’s S-300 air defense system in 2015, a U.S. defense official with knowledge of Russia’s weapons systems told Fox News, “This is a very capable weapons system that can bring down U.S. or Israeli jet aircraft.”
Click to enlarge

Bavar 373. Click to enlarge

After the removal of sanctions in 2016, Russia began delivering the S-300 air defence systems to Iran under the existing contract. Although Iran continued to develop the Bavar-373, which it first unveiled on August 21, 2016.
It is thought that the two systems will be used in tandem.
Whatever their final deployed configuration, the S-300 and Bavar 373 will provide a formidable long-range air defence capability. Combined with Iran’s other air defence assets, both indigenously developed and those acquired from Russia, they will give Iran the ability to fend off the sort of concerted air campaign that opened the way for the Iraq invasion.
Iran’s Defense Minister, Hossein Dehghan, said that mass production of the air defence system was scheduled to begin once the final tests were completed in March 2017.
Meaning that the door is now effectively closing for U.S. and/or Israeli air strikes on Iran.