TEHRAN – The Khatam-ol-Anbia Anti-Aircraft Base commander has announced that the Armed Forces’ air defense units have been equipped with the new generation of Mersad missile system.

“The Mersad air defense system has become completely operational in the Armed Forces’ air defense units,” Brigadier Amir Esmaili told the Fars news agency on Tuesday.
He also said that the Mersad air defense system was successfully test-operated one day before the National Armed Forces Day on April 18.
“A longer range and an enhanced guidance system are remarkable features of Mersad, which distinguish this system with the Hawk missile system,” Esmaili explained.
Elsewhere in his remarks, Esmaili said that air defense systems have been deployed along the country’s borders and around the sensitive areas, adding that the armed forces are completely prepared to repel the enemy’s military threats.
The Mersad missile system has been designed and manufactured by Iranian engineers.
The new generation of Mersad, which has recently been unveiled, has a longer range and more destructive power, and can fly at higher altitude and hit modern aircrafts flying at low and medium altitudes.
The Mersad system uses domestically manufactured Shahin missiles, which are even more advanced than the 1970s-era U.S.-manufactured Hawk missiles.
The Mersad system is also equipped with sophisticated radar signal processing technology, an advanced launcher, and electronic equipment for guidance and target acquisition.