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The missile test
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The Iranian silo

Iran tests 14 surface-to-surface missiles

Tehran's war games see various surface-to-surface medium and long-range missiles fired. 'Missile range planned according to our distance from US bases in region, Zionist regime,' Iran's Air Force commander says

Iran tested 14 surface-to-surface missiles Tuesday, as part of the Revolutionary Guards' war games, the English-language Iranian TV channel FARS reported.

 

The 10-day military exercise, codenamed "Great Prophet-6," began on Monday. According to the report, Shahab-1, Shahab-2, Shahab-3 and Zilzal missiles were fired as part of the exercise. All four are surface-to-surface medium and long-range missiles.

 

 

The Shahab-3 is a liquid-fuelled missile which has a range of 2,000km and can theoretically reach Israel as well as US bases in the Middle East. The Shahab-1, Shahab-2 and Zilzal missiles have a range of 200-700km.

 

According to the report, the test included firing five missiles simultaneously: Two Shahab-1 missiles, two Shahab-2 missiles and one "improved" Shahab-3 missile, described as part of the "Ghadr-F" series, which uses solid fuel.

 

Shortly afterwards, nine Zilzal missiles were fired. It is believed Tehran has equipped Hezbollah with such missiles.

 

General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, commander of the Revolutionary Guards Air Force, said that the United States and Israel were Iran's only enemies "and other than that we are not threatened by any nation. Our missile range is designed according to the location of the American bases in the region and that of the Zionist regime."

 

Iran's missiles have a range of 2,000km, he added, noting that "the distance between us and the occupied territories is no more than 1,200km."

 

Hajizadeh further said that all US military bases within a range of 700km fall under the range of Iran's ballistic missile.

 

Iran "possesses the technology" to produce even longer range missiles than the ones it has now, Hajizadeh added, but has "no intention of producing them at this time."

 

When announcing the war games, the Islamic Republic stressed the exercise would carry "a message of peace and friendship to the countries of the region."

 

On Monday, Iran's Revolutionary Guards unveiled an "underground missile silo" which the elite force said will allow them to launch the country's long-range ballistic missiles – Shahab-3.

 

"The technology to build these silos is completely indigenous," the report quoted the exercise's spokesman, Colonel Asghar Ghelich-Khani, as saying.

 

In late May, Iran said it had equipped the Revolutionary Guards with a new surface-to-surface missile, the Qiam-1, which it said was built locally and test-fired last August.

 

Iran said it has a wide range of missiles in its arsenal, and regularly boasts about developing projectiles with substantial range and capabilities. Western military experts cast doubt over its claims, however.

 

AP and AFP contributed to this report

 

 


פרסום ראשון: 06.28.11, 09:13
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