Iran plans to boost its air-defense capability with new types of radar systems, including satellite detecting radars, a senior Iranian commander announced on Tuesday.

Speaking to reporters here in Tehran today, Commander of Khatam ol-Anbia Air Defense Base Brigadier General Farzad Esmayeeli said Iran has equipped its air-defense units with Qader, Mersad, Ya Zahra 3, Misaq 2 and strategic independent S-200 air defense missiles in the current Iranian year (March 20, 2012-March 20, 2013).

"As regards our radar systems, we started using Samen, Shahab and Matla radar systems (this year) and we hope to start deploying and using Arash radars as well as strategic space (satellite detecting) Sepehr radars next (Iranian) year (March 21, 2013 - March 20, 2014)," Esmayeeli added.

In February, Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi said that Iran plans to develop different types of radar systems with satellite detecting capabilities.

Addressing the second conference on radar technology systems here in Tehran at the time, Vahidi said Iran has witnessed "a jump" in the field of radar designing and manufacturing.

"Today, we have many achievements in different fields. Radars covering ranges of 500km to 700km have been manufactured and production of radar systems with 1,000km to 3,000km of range is underway," Vahidi explained.

He added that Iran is trying to develop radar systems to detect satellites, and said to do so, the radar systems are connected in phased arrangements to cover very long ranges and detect and track satellites.

Iranian officials have announced that the country has now reached self-sufficiency in producing radar systems in different frequencies and for various ranges.
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