In a television program on Monday night, General Hajizadeh said Iran had come up with the idea of underground storage of missiles more than three decades ago as part of a plan to hide and shield its missile capabilities from the enemies.

The commander said the idea of “underground missile cities” in Iran was developed in 1984, even before the country took delivery of the first foreign missile.

He said the construction of subterranean tunnels has been in progress “round the clock” since the first tunnel was dug in 1984.

“Very complex tunnels have been dug under the ground and mountains to store ammunition, missiles, equipment and even (protecting) personnel,” the commander added.

General Hajizadeh also noted that Iran is among a handful of countries with the know-how to design and manufacture missiles with pin-point accuracy.

“We are the top missile power in the region at present, and among the seven or eight leading countries (in the missile industry) in the world,” he added.

The IRGC general also unveiled plans for the production of a homegrown radar system that could lock onto and destroy targets when in motion, unlike the conventional stationary radars.

In October 2015, when pictures from the first Iranian missile city dug some 500 meters under a mountain were broadcast, Brigadier General Hajizadeh had announced that the facility was only one of the numerous bases scattered across the country.

The IRGC said later that what was shown in October 2015 was footage from its “oldest” warehouse for stockpiling missiles. Commanders also said that the Iranian guided missiles, with a range of 2,000 kilometers and pinpoint accuracy, can annihilate any fixed or mobile base at any distance with a zero margin of error.

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The top commander said the military drone has been developed in two versions and is aimed for conducting long reconnaissance and surveillance missions.

Brigadier General Sabahifard noted that Kian has been fully designed and developed by Iranian experts and technicians within a one-year period.

“The unmanned vehicle can hit targets way beyond the country’s borders and can start its defensive mission on enemies’ soil,” he said.

Speaking on Saturday, the Army Air Defense commander referred to the Islamic Republic’s significant defensive developments in recent years, saying the defense sector “is ahead of its predicted plans.”

“The train of air defense is on the rail of progress and in the Second Phase of the Revolution, it will offer many surprises which will reassure friends and frighten enemies,” he added.

Referring to recent achievements of air defense, namely Bavar-373 missile system and Falagh radar, the commander added that this progress shows Iran is capable of designing and manufacturing different equipment in the defense sector.

Iran’s defense sector has seen many great achievements made by Iranian engineers during recent years. The most recent unveiling came last week as domestically made Bavar-373 air defense system came on stream. Tehran has repeatedly announced that its military power is just aimed at defending the country against threats and does not present any threat to others.

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He noted that such stealth tools and equipment exist in the Islamic Republic military’s ground, air and marine sectors.

The military chief further noted that the military also conducts several unrevealed weekly tests and practices, saying, the military forces are making every effort to keep their strength at the highest level possible.

Referring to the hostile policies of some countries toward the Islamic Republic, the commander emphasized that the Army looks deep into foreign threats and is prepared to counter them.

“We possess equipment that could punish the enemies in the furthest points if need be,” he said.

In similar remarks, Iranian Deputy Defense Minister Brigadier General Ghasem Taghizadeh said on Saturday that “Of course we have produced a lot of missiles which are not reflected in the media due to security considerations, however, if America and the Zionist regime make any stupid mistake, we will surprise them.”

Iranian military experts and technicians have in recent years made great headways in manufacturing a broad range of indigenous equipment, making the armed forces self-sufficient in the arms sphere.

Iranian officials have repeatedly underscored that the country will not hesitate to strengthen its military capabilities, including its missile power, which are entirely meant for defense, and that Iran’s defense capabilities will be never subject to negotiations.

The country unveiled a state-of-the-art air defense missile system last week (August 22) dubbed “Bavar-373”, which has been completely designed and manufactured by military experts of the Islamic Republic.

The long-range air defense system is capable of detecting up to 100 targets, tracking 60 of them, and engage with six concurrently. A distinguishing feature of Bavar-373 is its vertical launching system with square launchers, mostly used for air defense on warships.

Bavar-373 uses a long-range, phased array fire-control radar, dubbed Me’raj-4. The air defense system employs three different types of missiles to hit targets at various altitudes.

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Referring to Iran-Iraq war, he mentioned that Iran’s defense industry has now been fully developed, given the experiences of the imposed war, as well as the country’s conditions.

Amiri noted that one of the most important components of national power is the promotion of defense power, adding that Iranian specialists are capable of developing advanced native defense systems.

The homegrown ‘Bavar-373’ missile defense system is said to be capable of neutralizing both conventional aerial targets such as aircraft and drones, as well as high-speed ballistic missiles. It was unveiled in a ceremony which was held on August 22 to mark the National Defense Industry Day in the presence of President Hassan Rouhani, Defense Minister Brigadier General Ami Hatami, a host of other Iranian high-ranking military officials and also military attachés of some other countries.

Bavar-373 is a mobile missile defense system designed to intercept and destroy incoming hostile targets flying at altitudes of up to 65 kilometers. The system employs missiles that have a maximum range of 300 kilometers. The long-range defense system is capable of detecting up to 300 targets simultaneously and engages six targets at a time.

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Oghab is a short-range, mobile defensive system, capable of targeting different flying objects and cruise missiles, he added.

The top commander said the new system will confuse the enemies because it has been fully designed and developed by the Iranian experts and the enemies are not aware of what they will face.

Brigadier General Elhami also pointed to another state-of-the-art air defense missile system dubbed “Bavar-373”, which has been completely designed and manufactured by military experts of the Islamic Republic, as another great achievement in the defense sector.

The domestically made missile system Bavar-373 was unveiled during a ceremony held in Tehran on Thursday.

The long-range air defense system is capable of detecting up to 100 targets, tracking 60 of them, and engage with six concurrently. A distinguishing feature of Bavar-373 is its vertical launching system with square launchers, mostly used for air defense on warships.

Bavar-373 uses a long-range, phased array fire-control radar, dubbed Me’raj-4. The air defense system employs three different types of missiles to hit targets at various altitudes.

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“Yes, We Can” slogan is manifested everywhere in the Exhibition of Defense Industry, according to the Judiciary chief, adding that the military achievements show that the sons of the country have put into force the instructions of the Leader, who is the commander in chief of all armed forces.

He added that the sons of the country have made the people more hopeful about the future while they have disappointed the enemies with the military achievements.

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Direct comparisons of defense spending between Arab states and Iran are difficult. While a superficial reading of public statistics shows Saudi and Emirati spending far outstrips Iran’s as a proportion of GDP, it would be a mistake to take public Iranian statistics at face value. Still, post-revolutionary Iran has long embraced asymmetric strategies.

Historically, many Middle Eastern countries have approached technology with suspicion, but Iran has been the exception. In the early twentieth century, for example, Saudi clerics resisted first the introduction of the telegraph and then radio. Into the 1970s, some Saudi clerics complained that television was a plot dreamed up in the West to separate Muslim children from God.

The Iranian Shah Nasir al-Din (r. 1848-1896) sponsored his own telegraph line in Tehran just over a decade after Samuel Morse laid America’s first long distance line. Both the Iranian government and public readily embraced almost every new generational technology. The same dynamic has been true regarding the internet. Many Arab countries initially rejected or sought to suppress internet access as much for cultural reticence as politics. In 1993, Iran became the second country in the Middle East after Israel to connect to the internet.

As the Iranian leadership embraces new technologies, its whole-of-government approach means that its work occurs not only on military bases, but also in Iran’s universities and nominally civilian companies.

There is a persistent tendency within Washington to underestimate Iran. Simply put, Iranian engineers and scientists are adept at developing cutting edge military technologies. It has been ten years, for example, since Iran successfully launched its first satellite into orbit. In the decade since, Iran’s space agency has successfully launched more than a half dozen satellites; more satellite launches are slated for this year. Of course, satellite launch technology can provide cover for advanced ballistic missile work. Perhaps this is why last year Iranian scientists developed a gyroscope to augment inertial navigation in Iran’s ballistic missiles.

The Iranian government has also encouraged nanotechnology investment. On January 31, 2015, for example, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei visited a nanotechnology exhibition and, claiming that Iran ranked seventh internationally in nanotechnology, urged even greater progress. “You should move forward and you should not abandon the thought of making progress—in this area—on a daily basis,” he said.

Iranian students subsequently joined a rigorous nanotech education program, and the Iranian government has sponsored nanotechnology Olympiads in which top students can compete against each other and which the Iranian government can use for recruitment.

A recent incident with the US Navy in the Persian Gulf has also highlighted Iran’s unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) work. Iran put its first drone into operation in 1985, a decade or two before many other regional states did.

While diplomats continue to focus on Iran’s nuclear program, the next generation of military technology involves hypersonic weaponry, robotics, and autonomous systems. There is no indication that the Islamic Republic has the ability to engage in hypersonic work, nor are their allies in China and Russia willing to trust them with such data and technology.

Russian leaders, especially, seem willing not only to export technology to Iran, but also to allow Iranian scientists to manufacture it themselves. Just this year, Tasnim News, an outlet affiliated with the IRGC, announced that Iranian engineers were seeking to manufacture a version of Russia’s Pantsir anti-aircraft missile system inside Iran. Robotics might be the next target of Russo-Iranian cooperation. On June 24, 2019, Iran’s deputy defense minister visited Moscow to attend a “Military-Technical Forum” attended by over twelve hundred Russian and foreign companies, many of which work in robotics.

Russia might be willing to share, but Western technology remains the gold standard.

The IRGC has recently drilled “Fuji assaults” in which artificial intelligence helps coordinate boats, planes, tanks, and drones in a broad attack. The IRGC used similar tactics during the battle against the Islamic State in the eastern Euphrates region.

On June 12, 2019, Iranian Air Defense Force commander Alireza Sabahifard announced a new air defense system that can detect stealth UAVs and which may also utilize some basic artificial intelligence in its operation. The Iranian authorities successfully downed a US drone just a month later suggests that Iranian advances should not be easily dismissed.

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While stressing that the Islamic Republic’s military doctrine is based on deterrence, the top commander warned that if the enemies take any aggressive action, they should await Iran’s crushing and firm response.

The already high tensions between the US and Iran have been increasing since early May this year, when the US ordered the accelerated deployment of a strike group to the Persian Gulf, citing an alleged threat from Iran.

Six oil tankers have been attacked in the region in the past two months with the US putting the blame on Iran. Tehran dismissed any involvement and said the incidents were “suspicious,” an indication that it believed the US may have been staging a false flag.

On June 20, a US spy drone and another, crewed aircraft entered Iranian airspace. Iranian air defense forces shot the drone down but chose not to target the manned plane.

Later, the UK seized a supertanker carrying Iranian oil near Gibraltar, alleging that it was violating unilateral European Union sanctions by carrying crude for Syria. While Iran denied that the ship was bound for Syria, it condemned the seizure.

Tehran later impounded a British-flagged ship in the Strait of Hormuz for failing to stop after hitting an Iranian fishing boat, a violation of international maritime rules.

London has since called for the formation of a European-led mission to the Persian Gulf to ensure “safe passage” in the region. Washington has also announced its own separate plans to form an international military coalition in the Persian Gulf.

Britain and the US have yet to provide specific plans for the announced missions.

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A major exhibition showcasing the latest defense achievements of the Iranian Armed Forces has opened at Tehran’s Grand Mosalla, with over 560 military equipment on display.

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 Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami reported of new military and civil achievements that are going to be unveiled during the anniversary of 1979 Islamic Revolution from 1 to 11 February.

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