The Iranian military have presented its new "Falaq" radar system, which was developed and produced domestically and is expected to complement the existing air defence systems, such as the S-300. "Falaq" is a phased-array type of radar system, capable of detecting a variety of targets from long ranges, the Iranian Army's Air Defense Force Brigadier General Alireza Sabahi-Fard stated on 10 August.
"This system has high capabilities and can identify all types of cruise missiles, stealth planes, drone systems and ballistic missiles for a range of 400 kilometres", he said.
Iranian politicians recently have been stressing the achievements of the Iranian military industry, noting that one of its products, the Khordad 3 air defence system, recently proved its efficiency by downing an American RQ-4 Global Hawk drone. Tehran said that the drone violated its borders and failed to respond to multiple warnings, while the US claims that the UAV was flying above neutral waters.
Tensions between the US and Iran have been escalating recently amid Washington's "maximum pressure" sanctions campaign against Iran and the US military build-up in the region. The actions by the US have forced Tehran to prioritize the domestic development of weaponry, such as air defence systems, tanks and jets in recent years.
