Iran destroyer equipped with close-in weapon system

For the first time, an Iranian destroyer has been equipped with an indigenously-produced version of Phalanx, a close-in weapon system (CIWS), which is used to engage targets at close range.

The announcement was made by Commander of the Iranian Navy Rear Admiral Hossein Khanzadi on Saturday.

The system, dubbed Kamand (Lasso), has successfully been tested both on the ground along the coastline and at sea, Rear Admiral Khanzadi said.

It is used to engage targets within the closest range of the vessel it has been deployed on, namely two kilometers (1.2 miles). It can fire between 4,000 and 7,000 rounds per minute at the target.

The Islamic Republic is among a handful of countries that have obtained the CIWS technology, Khanzadi said, adding that the system is to be set up mostly on vessels, which venture deep into the sea.

The CIWS is to be deployed on a second destroyer in the near future, the commander concluded.

Iran’s Navy has, time and again, asserted that its power is only defensive and deterrent in nature, and that its exercises are meant to send across the message of peace and security to regional countries.

Also on Saturday, Commander of Army Ground Force’s Airborne Division General Yousef Qorbani said that the army has enhanced the range of weapons mounted on its helicopters, enabling them to hit targets at a distance of 12 kilometers.

Highlighting Iran’s success in producing all chopper components inside the country, the commander said Iran is among the few countries in possession of night vision systems for military choppers.

After the Iraqi imposed war in the 1980s, the Islamic Republic made such great advances in improving helicopter systems that it is now known as a hub of the industry in West Asia and even in the world, the general added.

Last month, General Qorbani said Iran has the most powerful fleet of choppers in the Middle East. Iranian military experts and technicians have in recent years made great headways in manufacturing a broad range of indigenous equipment, making the Armed Forces selfsufficient in the arms sphere.

On Saturday, the Army Ground Force’s Airborne Division brought into service a homegrown simulator system for Bell 206 military choppers.

Press TV and Tasnim News Agency contributed to this story.