Iran has started production of two domestically-developed missiles with enhanced armor-penetration capability, the Iranian media has reported.
The Iranian state TV footage showed on Saturday the Qaem ground-to-air missile and the Toufan-5 anti-tank missile being test-fired at a shooting range during the inauguration of two production lines for these weapons.
"Once these advanced weapons are mass produced and delivered to the Armed Forces, Iran's defense power in ground and air combats will be reinvigorated," the Iranian Fars news agency quoted Iranian Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi as saying.
According to Vahidi, who attended the inauguration ceremony, the Toufan 5 missile has two warheads and is capable of destroying armored vehicles, tanks and personnel carriers due to its high armor-penetration power.
The Qaem laser-guided surface-to-air missile is capable of destroying aerial targets traveling at low speed and low altitude, especially attack helicopters.
Iranian military officials earlier said Tehran had achieved self-sufficiency in manufacturing combat missiles of various modifications and developed an effective weapon to shoot down U.S. Apache attack helicopters.
Iran launched a domestic arms development program after a U.S. weapons embargo was imposed during its 1980-88 war with Iraq. Since 1992, the Islamic Republic has reportedly produced its own Saeqeh and Azarakhsh jet fighters, stealth-capable Ghadir submarine, missile boats, torpedoes, tanks and armored carrier vehicles.
Iran frequently holds military drills and shows off modern weaponry in an effort to demonstrate its readiness to thwart any attack on its territory.
MOSCOW, February 7 (RIA Novosti)
