Iran conducting initial tests of Bawar-373 missile systems for 300 kilometers range

Iran has announced that they have developed the necessary air defence coverage at "all levels and layers of the area." Iranian Air Defense Force commander Brigadier General Amir Alireza Sabahifard said that they have tested the Bawar-373 system up to a range of 200 kilometres, Mehr News reported. He announced that they have started conducting preliminary tests of the Bawar-373 system for a range of 300 kilometres. 

The range for which Tehran is conducting the preliminary test is ample to the blanket majority of major US military bases which are near Iran, Sputnik reported. Brigadier General Alireza Sabahifard said that Iran has been able to monitor thousands of kilometres using the radar systems developed in the country. He further revealed that they are able to monitor the movements of "enemies in their homes and bases." Brigadier General Alireza Sabahifard revealed that Iran's Air Defense Force possesses modern aerial, intelligence, interception and combat equipment. He noted that they had earlier faced limitations of weapons and systems. However, he added that they now hold military exercises with the best domestic equipment "that are at the edge of the world's equipment technology."

Iran's Bavar-373 missile system became operational in 2019

As per the Sputnik report, Iran started creating the Bavar-373 missile system in 2010. Iran started manufacturing missile systems after then-Russian President Dmitry Medvedev froze the export of S-300PMU-1 air defence systems to Iran due to the sanctions imposed by the United Nations. The S-300PMU-1 air defence systems were delivered to Iran in 2015 and 2016. The first Bavar-373 was first revealed at a ceremony in 2016 and became operational in 2019. Notably, the Bavar-373 employs a phased array radar to monitor aerial targets and ballistic missiles at medium and long ranges. Reportedly, the surface-to-air missile system is equipped with an active electronically scanned array (AESA) S-band/X-band acquisition and its base system is capable of monitoring 60 targets at once and using six of them simultaneously.  

Image: AP