Iran on Monday started mass production of its new Fakour air-to-air missile in a ceremony participated by Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami, Fars News Agency (FNA) reported.

“Fakour is a radar-equipped mid-range air-to-air missile which has been designed and built with the help of the latest state-of-the-art world technologies,” General Hatami said, addressing the ceremony in Tehran.

He added that the missile can be fired from fighter jets, saying that it can engage different hostile planes within the operational range.

General Hatami said that the missile, which is the longest-range air-to-air missile produced by the Iranian experts so far, will increase the country’s defense and deterrence power.

“Today, the Islamic Republic of Iran joined the club of air-to-air missiles manufacturers,” he added.

Iran had announced in 2013 that the country’s experts had completed production of air-to-air Fakour missiles and were building a new long-range air-to-air missile system named ‘Maqsoud’ (Objective).

“Iran has accomplished construction of the mid-range air-to-air Fakour 90 missile and is now building Maqsoud missile system as its newest long-range air-to-air missile system,” Deputy Head of the General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces General Mohammad Hejazi said at the time.

He noted that the Iranian Armed Forces were working on 11 top level projects in the aerospace industry as well as 17 air-based weapons system production projects.