Iran's domestic air defense system reported to be an analogue of the Russian S-300 is a mere upgraded version of the obsolete Soviet-made S-200, Iran's Press TV website said referring to top military officials.
The S-200 was officially accepted into service in 1967. Iran acquired several systems from the Soviet Union in the late 1980s. Today, the S-200 is considered obsolete in comparison with the S-300.
"We have developed the system by upgrading systems like the S-200 and we have tested it successfully using all our potential and experience in the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), the Army and the Defense Ministry," Brigadier General Mohammad Hassan Mansourian told Press TV on Wednesday.
The move came after Russia refused to fulfill an S-300 delivery contract in September, the general added.
Russia signed a deal to deliver five battalions of S-300PMU-1 air defense systems to Iran in 2007, but banned the sale in 2010, saying the systems, along with a number of other weapons, were covered by a fourth round of sanctions imposed by the UN Security Council against Iran over its nuclear program in June.
The advanced version of the S-300 missile system, called S-300PMU1, has a range of over 150 kilometers (over 100 miles) and can intercept ballistic missiles and aircraft at low and high altitudes, making it an effective tool for warding off possible air strikes.
MOSCOW, November 18 (RIA Novosti)
