Iranian Navy Equips Naval Vessels with Anti-Ship Cruise Missile
News number: 9007275517 14:52 | 2011-11-30
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=9007275517
TEHRAN (FNA)- The Iranian Army's Navy equipped its vessels with powerful
anti-ship Qader (Mighty) cruise missiles, a senior Navy commander announced
on Wednesday.
Speaking to FNA, Iranian Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari
stated that Qader missile with a range of 200km is "one of the strongest and
most precise naval missiles" of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
The commander added that a large number of such missiles have already been
delivered to the Iranian naval combat units.
Sayyari stated that the Iranian Navy is now using Qader as a coast-to-sea
and surface-to-surface missile, and noted that the cruise missile can be
mounted onto different types of choppers as well.
Late in September, the Iranian Defense Ministry supplied large numbers of
Qader missiles to the naval forces of the Army and the Islamic Revolution
Guards Corps (IRGC) to boost Iran's naval power.
The Iranian defense minister said at the time that Qader is an anti-ship
cruise missile with a range of 200km and enjoys a short launch time and is
able to hit all naval vessels, including frigates and warships, as well as
onshore enemy targets.
Also on November 21, the Iranian Defense Ministry supplied a large number of
highly advanced coast-to-sea cruise missiles to the Army's naval forces.
The move came on the verge of the National Navy Day on November 28.
Tehran launched an arms development program during the 1980-88 Iraqi imposed
war on Iran to compensate for a US weapons embargo. Since 1992, Iran has
produced its own tanks, armored personnel carriers, missiles and fighter
planes.
Yet, Iranian officials have always stressed that the country's military and
arms programs serve defensive purposes and should not be perceived as a
threat to any other country.
Iran's naval power has even been acknowledged by foes. In a Sep. 11, 2008
report, the Washington Institute for the Near East Policy said that in the
two decades since the Iraqi imposed war on Iran, the Islamic Republic has
excelled in naval capabilities and is able to wage unique asymmetric warfare
against larger naval forces.
According to the report, Iran's Navy has been transformed into a highly
motivated, well-equipped, and well-financed force and is effectively in
control of the world's oil lifeline, the Strait of Hormuz.
Seems to me, Iran has a lot of stuff a long way from the sea going boom in big way in the last few weeks.
Hope the new cruise missiles work as well as the missile base that went boom last week.
Good luck, with your new program. I am not sure I would want to be an Iranian soldier near anything that might go boom.
