Iran defense minister talks Army upgrade

Iran’s Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi says upgrading the equipment of the Armed Forces is one of the key strategies of his ministry.

“The Army’s readiness [in countering acts of aggression] is at a desirable level thanks to being equipped with state-of-the-art weapons,” Vahidi said on Saturday.

The defense minister described the unity and solidarity between the Armed Forces, including the Army, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), the Basij volunteer forces and the police, as one of the preventive elements against enemy aggression.

The Iranian defense minister praised the Army’s role in defending the country’s aerial, maritime and ground borders and said, “The military might of the Islamic Republic Army has upset the equations of global powers.”

In recent years, Iran has made major breakthroughs in its defense sector and attained self-sufficiency in important military equipment and systems.

In January, the Iranian Defense Ministry delivered new naval cruise missile systems to the Navy in yet another move to boost the nation’s defense capabilities.

Iran also unveiled its first domestically-manufactured long-range Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) in 2010.

The Karrar UAV is capable of carrying a military payload of rockets to carry out bombing missions against ground targets. It is also capable of flying long distances at high speeds.

Iran also inaugurated the production line of two other domestically-built UAVs with bombing and reconnaissance capabilities.

Iran has repeatedly assured that its military might poses no threat to other countries, saying the country’s defense doctrine is based on deterrence.