ASIAN DEFENCE: Iran

Showing posts with label Iran. Show all posts

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Iran says still discussing missile system deal with Russia

1:48 AM ASIAN DEFENCE No comments

Tehran is still negotiating the purchase of S-300 air defense missile systems with Moscow, the Iranian defense minster said on Wednesday."Russia's refusal to hand over the missile system goes against the agreement signed by the two countries," Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi was quoted as saying by the ISNA news agency.

Iran test flies upgraded C-130 plane

8:21 AM ASIAN DEFENCE No comments

On the fifth day of the Sacred Defense Week, Iran has successfully conducted the first test-flight of the domestically-upgraded C-130 aircraft.The aircraft, which is modeled after the Lockheed Martin's C-130 Hercules, joined the Iranian Air Force in the 1970s.Defense Ministry Ahmad Vahidi said on Sunday that "the C-130 should have been upgraded earlier but due to international sanctions and losing contact with its manufacturer it (the upgrade) was postponed until now."

Fateh 110 missiles handed over to IRGC

4:02 AM ASIAN DEFENCE No comments

In a ceremony on Tuesday the first batch of the third generation of Fateh 110 missiles were delivered to the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps. The ceremony was attended by Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi and the IRGC Aerospace and Navy commanders. Vahidi said the mass production of Fateh 110 has already started, adding the missiles will promote the operational capability of the IRGC air fleet.

Saudi-US Arms Deal Aimed at Establishing Air Superiority Over Iran

1:15 AM ASIAN DEFENCE No comments

Analysts say US arms deal gives Saudis advantage over all regional states except Israel.Saudi Arabia's planned massive arms deal with the United States is aimed at establishing air superiority over rival Iran while also addressing weaknesses bared in border fighting with Yemeni rebels, experts said on Tuesday.Under the potential 60-billion-dollar (47-billion-euro), 10-year deal, the Saudis would be authorised to buy 84 new F-15 fighters and upgrade 70 more, as well as buy 178 attack helicopters and various missiles.

That should give the oil giant a clear advantage over Iran and any other of its neighbours save Israel, experts said.The deal, revealed by US defense officials on Monday, would represent a sweeping upgrade of Saudi Arabia's military that could also see an additional 24-27 billion dollars spent on naval vessels and missile defence systems, a Saudi defence expert said.

Iran Unveils "Karrar" Drone

10:37 AM ASIAN DEFENCE No comments

Iran test fires surface-to-surface Qiam missile

3:19 AM ASIAN DEFENCE No comments

Defence Minister Ahmad Vahidi announced on Friday that Iran has test fired a surface-to-surface missile, Qiam, a day before it is due to launch its Russian-built first nuclear power plant.Fars news agency had in a report earlier this week quoted the minister as saying that Qiam was a short-range missile.On Tuesday, Vahidi had said that Qiam was to be test fired during the annual government week, the period when Tehran touts its achievements in various fields. This year government week begins on Monday.The third generation Fateh 110 (Conqueror) missile was also to be test fired during this period. Iran has previously paraded a version of Fateh 110 which has a travel range of 150 to 200 kilometres (90 to 125 miles).

Bahrain says it will not be used as launch pad to attack Iran

3:16 AM ASIAN DEFENCE 1 comment

"The presence of a US naval base in Bahrain does not mean that Manama will allow its use to launch an attack on any country," Shaikh Khalid Bin Ahmad Al Khalifa said in an interview with the London-based Asharq Al Awsat.

Manama: Bahrain's foreign minister has ruled out allowing the US to use his country to launch attacks on any country, in an apparent reference to Iran.The presence of a US naval base in Bahrain does not mean that Manama will allow its use to launch an attack on any country," Shaikh Khalid Bin Ahmad Al Khalifa said in an interview with the London-based Asharq Al Awsat. "The agreements signed by Manama with Washington are exclusively defence-based and we cannot allow the use of our lands to attack other territories. In fact, there are no attack weapons on the base."The minister said that the defence agreements were meant to preserve safety and security in the Gulf as a highly significant water way and vital area for global economy."Without the presence of international forces in the region, we would have become like the Gulf Aden which lacks the minimum criterion for security and stability," he said.

Iranian fighter jet crashes in Bushehr

1:38 AM ASIAN DEFENCE No comments

An Iranian air force jet crashed Tuesday in the southern province of Bushehr which houses a nuclear power plant, said a Mehr news agency report that added the two airmen on board ejected and survived.The aircraft, a US-made F4 jet fighter that requires a two-person crew, went down about five kilometres (more than three miles) from the Bushehr Special Economy Zone, the report said.The English-language Press TV channel's website said the jet crashed near Shif island, about 40 kilometres (25 miles) north of Iran's first nuclear power plant in Bushehr which the Islamic republic plans to activate on Saturday.

Iran's Navy Gets Four New Iranian-Built Submarines

1:34 AM ASIAN DEFENCE No comments

Iran claims to have S-300 anti-aircraft missiles

1:06 AM ASIAN DEFENCE No comments

Iran has obtained four S-300 surface-to-air missile systems despite Russia's refusal to deliver them to Tehran under a valid contract, a semiofficial Iranian news agency claimed.The Fars news agency, which has ties to the country's most powerful military force, the Revolutionary Guard, said Iran received two S-300s from Belarus and two others from another unspecified source. Fars didn't elaborate, and there was no official confirmation of the report.Russia signed a 2007 contract to sell the S-300s, but so far has not delivered. The sophisticated anti-aircraft missiles would significantly boost Iran's ability to defend against air strikes and Israel and the United States have strongly objected to the deal.A spokesman for Belarus' state military trade committee, however, denied there were any missile deliveries.

Russia may lose $13 bln to ban on arms exports to Iran

1:23 AM ASIAN DEFENCE No comments

Russia could lose up to $13 billion due to an extensive arms embargo imposed on Iran over its controversial nuclear program, a Russian arms trade expert said on Tuesday."This amount includes deliveries under signed contracts and potential revenues from prospective projects," said Igor Korotchenko, head of a Moscow-based think tank on the international arms trade.According to the Russian think tank, Iran has been implementing a 25-year rearmament program since 2001. The $25-bln program was mostly oriented toward arms purchases from Russia.

B-2 Bombers and Cruise Missiles can End Iran's Ability to Make Nuclear Weapons

1:11 AM ASIAN DEFENCE No comments

A Pentagon strike against Iran would rely heavily on the B-2 bomber and cruise missiles to try to destroy the regime's ability to make nuclear weapons, analysts say, after the top U.S. military officer said a war plan is in place.The missiles, fired from surface ships, submarines and B-52 bombers, would take out air defenses and nuclear-related facilities.The B-2s would drop tons of bombs, including ground penetrators, onto fortified and buried sites where Tehran is suspected of enriching uranium to fuel the weapons and working on warheads.

Author Compiling Memoirs of Wartime Iranian Fighter Pilots

11:08 PM ASIAN DEFENCE No comments

Raheleh Saburi is compiling a book series on the memoirs of ten Iranian fighter pilots from the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force who encountered emergencies during the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war which forced them to eject from their aircraft. “Brigadier general Ahmad Mehrnia proposed the idea during a meeting we had at Morteza Sarhangi’s office. I have heard some of these memoirs before, so I accepted his suggestion without hesitation,” Saburi mentioned in a press release. The books will be released by the Sureh-Mehr Publications affiliated with the Islamic Ideology Dissemination Organization (IIDO).

U.S. on Verge of Activating Missile Shield Over Southern Europe

3:52 PM ASIAN DEFENCE No comments

By Craig Whitlock

The U.S. military is on the verge of activating a partial missile shield over southern Europe, part of an intensifying global effort to build defenses against Iranian missiles amid a deepening impasse over the country's nuclear ambitions.Pentagon officials said they are nearing a deal to establish a key radar ground station, probably in Turkey or Bulgaria. Installation of the high-powered X-band radar would enable the first phase of the shield to become operational next year.

At the same time, the U.S. military is working with Israel and allies in the Persian Gulf to build and upgrade their missile defense capabilities. The United States installed a radar ground station in Israel in 2008 and is looking to place another in an Arab country in the gulf region. The radars would provide a critical early warning of any launches from Iran, improving the odds of shooting down a missile.Obama administration has plans to nearly double its number of Aegis ships with ballistic missile defenses, to 38 by 2015.

Iranian Army Air Force Plans to Stage Country-Wide Military Exercises

2:25 AM ASIAN DEFENCE No comments

The Iranian Army Air Force plans to stage massive and countrywide air drills this week, a senior commander announced on Monday."The wargames to be held on Mordad 9-16 (July 31-August 7) through collective cooperation of all Air Force bases are dubbed as 'Fada'eyan-e Harreem-e Vellayat' (Devotees to the Sanctity of Religious Leadership)," Air Force Lieutenant Commander for Operations Mohammad Alavi told FNA, adding that this would be the second air show to be staged under the said title. The commander announced that 43 fighter jets and warplanes, including F-4, F-5, F-7 and Sukhoi SU-24 fighter-bombers, will take part in the exercises. "Air bases in Mehrabad (Tehran), Tabriz, Hamedan, Dezfoul, Bushehr, Bandar Abbas, Shiraz and Isfahan are among the important Air Force bases that will take part in the drills," Alavi noted.

Iran to Mass-Produce Ballistic Missiles

10:30 PM ASIAN DEFENCE No comments

A senior commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) announced on Sunday that Iran is now capable of mass-producing its home-made ballistic missiles."We have reached a never-ending point in (increasing) the quantity of ballistic missiles," IRGC Lieutenant Commander General Hossein Salami said, noting that Iran has made great progresses in this area based on its home-grown capabilities and capacities. Salami also reiterated that Iran has taken giant strides in building air-defense systems in recent years.

Iran Moves Radar to Syria For Early-Warning of Israeli Air Attack

2:29 AM ASIAN DEFENCE No comments

Iran has moved radar to Syria that could provide early-warning against a possible surprise Israeli air attack against Tehran's nuclear sites, a U.S. defense official said on Friday.The radar transfer was first reported in the Wall Street Journal on July 1 and prompted the State Department to voice concerns about cooperation between Syria and Iran.The sophisticated radar were deployed in Syria last year, the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Iran Completes Mig-29 Fighter Jets Refurbishment

2:25 AM ASIAN DEFENCE No comments

Iran has successfully renovated one of its Mig-29 fighter jets in order to join the country's fighters fleet, an air force commander says. The refurbishment of the fighter jet was carried out at a military airbase in the northwestern city of Tabriz where the aircraft successfully took off after being grounded for years. "All the stages of the fighter's repair and modernization program were conducted by Iranian engineers," IRIB reported Iranian Air Force commander Brigadier General Hassan Shah-Safi as saying on Thursday.

Iran to Manufacture Long-Range Air Defense Missile System

5:41 AM ASIAN DEFENCE No comments

Iran is planning to start manufacturing long-range anti-air missiles, Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi told reporters on Wednesday. Vahidi made the remarks when asked if Iran plans to manufacture the S-300 defense missile system. However, he urged Russia to live up to its commitment to deliver the S-300 missile defense system to Iran. The defense minister said the S-300 system is a deal between Tehran and Moscow and has nothing to do with the UN resolution against Iran, he stated.

Iran has Enough Low-Enriched Uranium for Two Weapons: CIA Director Leon Panetta

12:44 AM ASIAN DEFENCE No comments

Iran has enough low-enriched uranium to make two weapons, which it could have prepared and ready for delivery as early as 2012, CIA director Leon Panetta warned."We think they have enough low-enriched uranium for two weapons," Panetta told the ABC network's "This Week" program.

Tehran would need a year to enrich it fully to produce a bomb and it would take "another year to develop the kind of weapon delivery system in order to make that viable," he said.Iran is under mounting international pressure over its suspect nuclear program, which the West fears masks a covert weapons drive.The Islamic republic vehemently denies the charge, but has been flexing its military muscle mainly in the strategic Gulf region by staging regular war games and showcasing an array of Iran-manufactured missiles.