TEHRAN – Commander of the Khatam-ol-Anbia Base, Farzad Esmaeeli, says Iran has been able to modify the S-200 missile system.

The manufacturers of the missile have not only confirmed the modifications but also praised the Iranian experts for doing so, Esmaeeli told Fars news agency.

Iran would also change the name of the missile system soon, he noted.

The S-200 (NATO: SA-5 Gammon) is a medium- to high-altitude mobile surface-to-air missile designed, manufactured, and deployed by the Russians. Its principal purpose is to track, target, and destroy aircraft and cruise missiles. Since the fall of the Soviet Union, Russia has proliferated the S-200 throughout Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.

In 1966, the Soviet Union conducted state trials of the S-200 system. Sources indicate that the initial missile did not meet its stated specifications: for instance, its original range on paper was 200 kilometers, although in reality it was only effective up to 160 kilometers. Nevertheless, Moscow still considered the missile a vital part of its defensive architecture, and made the system operational. The S-200 began its initial deployment in 1967.