Baku, Azerbaijan, July 23
Trend:
Iran's defense ministry has launched a production line for its air-to-air missile dubbed Fakour-90.
Iran's Defense Minister, Brigadier General Amir Hatami, who was present at the inauguration ceremony, said the missile was developed based on operational needs and in cooperation with the Army Air Force of the Islamic Republic, the state-run IRINN TV reported July 23.
He added that that the missile will improve the combat capabilities of Iran’s army air force.
Fakour-90 is a medium range air to air missile, which is designed and manufactured based on the latest technologies of the world, the minister said.
The missile was unveiled and successfully test-fired in 2017, he added.
The Fakour-90, which is based on the AIM-54 Phoenix, is used on F-14 Tomcats to intercept and destroy air-to-air targets.
The missile was created by the Iranian Army, the Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces Logistics, and the Air Force.
Iranian media outlets report that the Islamic Republic has made great achievements in its defense sector and attained self-sufficiency in producing essential military equipment and systems in recent years.
Tehran established an arms development program during the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s, to counter the weapons embargo imposed on it by the US and its Western allies.
Since 1992, Iran has been manufacturing its own tanks, armored personnel carriers, missiles, radars, boats, submarines and fighter planes. Iran also unveiled its first long-range Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) in 2010.