To deal with the US, Iran equips new defense systems on warships
(Baonghean.vn) - On August 18, the semi-official Tasnim news agency quoted Iranian Navy Commander Major General Hosssein Khanzadi as saying that for the first time, the Iranian navy had equipped a domestically manufactured state-of-the-art defense weapon system on one of its warships, amid rising tensions with the US military in the Gulf.
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| Iran equips warships with new defense systems. Photo: AP |
Earlier this month, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) confirmed that the country had conducted military exercises in the Gulf, saying the activity was aimed at "dealing with potential threats" from the enemy.
The US Central Command for the Middle East and Central Asia confirmed that it has witnessed increased Iranian naval activity, extending to the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic sea route for oil shipments that the IRGC has threatened to blockade.
Iran is furious over President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw the United States from the Iran nuclear deal and reimpose sanctions on the Islamic Republic.
According to Tasnim, Major General Khanzadi “stressed that the testing of the short-range Kaland defense weapons system in coastal areas and at sea was successful, and announced that the system has been deployed on one warship, and will soon be deployed on a second warship.”
Kamand is considered “Iran's Phalanx defense system”, after an automatic machine gun complex, made by the US Raytheon Corporation, shot down approaching missiles.
Unable to import many weapons due to international sanctions and arms embargoes, Iran has developed a domestic arms industry, thereby manufacturing its own military equipment.
Tehran also regularly reports on its weapons development, which it says can rival the West's most advanced systems./.
