MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Iran is set to begin the mass production of its Bavar-373 air defense system once the practical tests that are expected to continue until March 2017 have been completed, local media reported, citing the country’s Defense Minister Hossein Dehghan.
The tests include intercepting ballistic missiles, Dehghan was as quoted as saying on Sunday by the Tasnim news agency.
He said that various components of the Iranian Bavar-373 long-range air defense systems had already been tested and the system had been transferred to a launch site for further tests.
On Sunday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani unveiled the country's long-awaited air defense missile system with characteristics similar to the Russian S-300.
In May, Dehghan announced that Iran had completed development of the domestically-produced Bavar-373 air defense system, with mass production expected to begin later in 2016.
