Iranian armed forces tests modern air defense shield

IRNA – February 7, 2007

The Iranian armed forces tested a modern air defense shield dubbed as TOR-M1, Commander of the Air Force of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Brigadier-General Hossein Salami said on Wednesday.

The IRGC Navy and Air Force started military exercises in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman on Wednesday.

Salami said that the specialized military exercise code-named 'Saeqa' has been designed to boost air defense and counter-attack in the face of any possible offensive against Iranian airspace.

He said that the new generation of missile systems have been employed to boost defensive and deterrent capability of the country.

Salami said that TOR-M1 has a 12 km range which can be increased to 20 km, adding that the air defense shield is capable of rapidly tracing down 47 targets and engaging with eight objects simultaneously.

He said that employing several units of the air defense shield will help protect airspace from hostile action.

Salami said that TOR-M1 air defence shield is capable of tracing down modern Cruise missile.

The military exercises in the Persian Gulf and Sea of Oman will continue on Thursday.
http://www2.irna.com/en/news/view/line-203/0702078749172331.htm


Iran's Guards to hold wargames in Gulf
San Diego.com – February 7, 2007

Iran's Revolutionary Guards will hold two days of wargames in the Gulf and Sea of Oman this week, focusing on launching missiles, Iranian news agencies reported on Tuesday.

The announcement follows mounting tension with the United States, which has said it will step up pressure on Iran. This has included despatching a second aircraft carrier to the Gulf, a major shipping lane for oil exports.

The exercises will be staged on Wednesday and Thursday by the missile units of the Guards' naval and air forces, the semi-official Fars news agency reported, citing a Guards source.

The manoeuvres will 'focus on exercises for launching missiles', Iran's student news agency ISNA said.

The Revolutionary Guards is an ideological wing of the Islamic Republic's armed forces and has a separate command structure to the regular military. Iran's previous exercises in the region have widely been seen as a show of military capacity.

Fars news agency said the manoeuvres would strengthen 'defensive ability'.

Military experts say Iranian forces are no technological match for the U.S. military but could still cause havoc in the Gulf and the narrow Strait of Hormuz, a choke point through which two fifths of the world's traded oil passes.

The United States is at loggerheads with Iran over the Islamic Republic's nuclear programme, which Washington says is aimed at building an atomic bomb, despite Tehran's denials.

Washington has said it wants diplomacy to resolve the standoff but has not ruled out force if that fails.
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/world/20070206-0750-iran-wargames-.htm

Last updated 08/02/2007