Iran showcases new weapons as it prepares for a rocky 2025

For the past three months, Iran’s army and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) have been demonstrating and testing brand-new offensive and defensive weapons in extensive military exercises.

In response to threats from the United States and Israel to bomb Iranian nuclear facilities, critical energy infrastructure, and military installations, the nation is gearing up for another turbulent year.

In response to Israeli attacks enraged by the devastation of the Gaza War, Iran has also promised a third iteration of its major military strikes against Israel.

Iran, the Sea of Oman, and the northern Indian Ocean have all been the locations of the exercises Eqtedar, Zolfaqar, and Great Prophet.

Iran’s refusal to negotiate with US President Donald Trump under his “maximum pressure” policy and continue to advance its nuclear program are demonstrated by the weapons tested.

cities with secret missiles

Commanders claim they are prepared for a protracted war after the IRGC revealed three significant underground military bases.

Difficult ballistic projectiles were visible inside what state television called a “missile megacity,” some of which were placed quickly on mobile launchers.

Among them were:

• A liquid-fuel rocket with a range of 2,024 kilometers (1,242 miles) and an upgraded warhead that is reportedly weighs up to two tons (4,400 pounds) is Khorramshahr-4.
• Jahad, a liquid-fuel rocket that can go up to 1, 000km (621 miles) with a 650kg (1, 400-pound) warhead.
• L360, a solid-fuel rocket that can go 180km (111 miles) while carrying 150kg (330 pounds) of explosives.
• A two-stage rocket called the Qadr can carry a warhead that weighs up to 750 kg (1, 650 pounds) and travels up to 2, 000 kilometers.
• A liquid-fuel missile with a range of about 1,800 kilometers (1,118 miles) and 750 kg of warheads.

Along Iran’s southern coast, the IRGC Navy also showed some images of a covert underground naval base.

A new cruise missile, an antiship projectile known as the Qadr-380, as well as hundreds of missile-carrying speedboats and antiship mines were displayed inside. Iran would be able to attack ships from deep within its own territory if the Qadr-380 could travel more than 1, 000 kilometers.

A new antiship supersonic cruise missile with a range of 2, 000 kilometers will also be made available by the IRGC soon, the company claims.

Warplanes

Iran also used its fighter jets, some domestic models like the Saeqeh and Azarakhsh, as well as a number of older US and Russian models that date back before Iran’s revolution of 1979.

In an exercise, it intercepted an enemy drone using the more recent Russian-made Yak-130 and MiG-29 fighter jets.

Moscow delivered the subsonic two-seat Yak-130 in September 2023 to train pilots for Iran’s long-awaited but unreceived Su-35 fighter jets.

Air defenses

After Israel attacked several Iranian provinces in late October, the Iranian government has a top priority in protecting critical infrastructure.

According to local and international media, Israeli military sources claimed that Iran had lost all four of its S-300 missile defense batteries and more during those attacks. They asserted that Iran was largely defenseless.

Tehran claimed that the gear had been replaced and that the impact was minor.

Iranian media reported that the S-300 and an improved version of the domestic Bavar-373, which had been in development for years, were both featured in live drills in January.

Iran’s top high-altitude missile defense system, the Bavar-373, is said to be capable of shooting down incoming missiles at a range of more than 300 kilometers (186 miles). It has surface-to-air tactical Sayyad 4B missiles.

The 15-Khordad, Majid, Arman, Zoubin, and Tondar, as well as a number of other missile defense systems that Iran has had for years, were also tested.

During exercises in January, a loitering surface-to-air missile known as the 358 was also unveiled. The new missile, which has a reported 400km (248 miles), will be used in conjunction with domestic defense systems to improve Iran’s ability to shoot down drones and low-altitude aerial threats.

Iranian armed forces also trained to defend against attacks on airports, refineries, and seaports from attacks on the nuclear sites in Natanz, Fordow, and Khondab.

They conducted air strikes using heavy “bunker-buster” bombs, which the US and Israel frequently use to penetrate deep underground, and warplanes piercing Iranian airspace.

A senior commander reported that the Army Air Force is building 1,000 more helicopters, many of which are overhauling older models because Iran cannot purchase from numerous international parts suppliers due to US and European sanctions.

Sea and ground defense

Attack and defense drills were conducted across a range of terrain.

In desert and coastal scenarios, heavy armored vehicles, including the Russian-made BMP2 carrier and the Iranian-made Karrar main battle tank, were put to the test.

Amphibious operations were conducted by soldiers and special forces commanders, including testing coastal defenses against incoming daytime and nighttime attacks.

A large number of speedboats and the warships Jamaran and Zagros were also visible in action.

The IRGC claimed that the newly launched Heydar 110, which can carry two cruise missiles, is the world’s fastest catamaran speedboat, traveling at 110 knots (more than 200 kilometers per hour).

Additionally, it launched the suicide drone Hadid-110, which can be launched into an underwater target before being slammed into it.

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For the first time ever, an unmanned underwater vehicle is shown firing the Iranian suicide drone Hadid-110.

Tareq, Fateh, and Ghadir are among the different types of submarines that Iran has deployed, according to reports that it has launched domestic Valfajr torpedos from the submarines.

In the Sea of Oman, US-made Sea Hawk helicopters fired anti-submarine missiles, and officials announced the launch of a missile-carrying hovercraft corvette soon.

Old and new drones

The IRGC deployed the first drone carrier, IRIS Shahid Bagheri, at the beginning of February.

A 180-meter (590-foot) runway, eight hangars on two floors, a hospital, a football pitch, and fuel stations for drones, helicopters, and other vessels are provided for the converted merchant ship.

It has the ability to launch reconnaissance and attack drones like the Ababil, Mohajer, and Homa.

stunning images of Iranian’s brand-new, self-built drone carrier Shahid Bagheri taking off and landing from the deck of their aircraft. twitter.com/1zx3U2sgiK

Bell-206 and Mil-17 helicopters landed on the deck in a smaller version of the brand-new jet-engine Qaher-313 drone.

With only a small number of missiles and guns on board, the drone carrier’s defenses appeared thin, and it had no idea how to join a strike group.

The Iranian army announced separately that it had received 1, 000 new drones, including some variations of the Shahed one-way unmanned aerial vehicles, that the West claims Iran gave Russia for the Ukrainian conflict.

Several different projectile types were used to drill drone swarm operations, which involve firing numerous drones at once while simultaneously overthrowing defenses.

Source: Aljazeera