Deputy Commander of Khatam ol-Anbia Air Defense Base General Abolfazl Sepehri-Raad said all preliminary tests of the home-made version of the sophisticated Russian S-300 missile defense system, dubbed as Bavar (Belief) 373, have been conducted, Fars News Agency (FNA) reported.
“All tests of the preliminary stages of Bavar 373 defense shield have been conducted successfully,” General Sepehri-Raad said.
He also added that all trainings related to the Russian S-300 air defense system are presented inside Iran.
Commander of Khatam ol-Anbia Air Defense Base Brigadier General Farzad Esmayeeli announced in July that Bavar (Belief) 373 defense shield will be launched by the next Iranian year (to start on March 21, 2018).
“Bavar 373 will be tested by the end of this year and will join the country's integrated defense system by the next year,” General Esmayeeli told reporters in Tehran.
He also said that Iran has deployed the Russian S-300 missile defense shield and is using the system.
Iran designed and developed its own version of the S-300 missile shield after the Russians shrugged off delivery of their advanced missile defense system to Iran on the pretext of the UN Security Council sanctions.
The Iranian version has superior features over the original Russian model as it enjoys increased mobility, agility and reduced launch-preparation time.
Iranian commanders had earlier said that Bavar 373 is similar to its original Russian model and traces and intercepts high-altitude targets.
After the removal of sanctions, Russia delivered S-300 air defense systems to Iran under the existing contract.