“The range of this radar has been doubled in both mid- and low-altitude coverage and a unique electronic warfare capability has also been added to the Hawk defense system in its both mid- and low-altitude sections,” Esmayeeli said.
He said that the trace and tracking radar system of the Hawk missile shield has also been developed, and this has improved the tracking and targeting capability of the system up to 40%.
Esmayeeli also underlined that the missile defense shield can operate for 24 hours a day with a very high precision capability.
Late 2012, Iranian air defense units exercised targeting Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) with anti-aircraft Hawk missiles during the massive military drills in the Eastern parts of the country.
On the second day of the exercises, the air defense units fired a Hawk missile at a drone and destroyed it.
The missile was fired by a mobile air defense system on a missile-launching vehicle.
Also at the time, Esmayeeli announced that Iran has optimized the mid-range Hawk air defense missiles.
“The Hawk missiles which are good for medium altitudes have been optimized and indigenized in the country,” Esmayeeli told reporters on the sidelines of air defense drills in November 2102.