Iran Unveils New Hovercraft & Missile Systems

 During a ceremony held in Tehran on Monday, Iran unveiled a new hovercraft (photo), named the Tondar (Thunder), which has been designed and manufactured by experts at the Defense Ministry.

Iranian Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi attended the unveiling ceremony and briefed reporters on the features of the hovercraft, which can be used in various types of missions carried out by the country’s Armed Forces.

According to Vahidi, the Tondar hovercraft, which has been equipped with special systems of gathering information, can be used to patrol the country’s coastal waters, carry out medium-range reconnaissance missions on land and sea, conduct defensive asymmetric operations, and transport troops and equipment.

He also said that the ability to pass through difficult flat terrains such as swampy, boggy, and sandy regions is one of the significant features of the hovercraft.

He went on to say that various types of domestically designed weapons and guns such as rocket launchers and cannons can be installed on the hovercraft.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Vahidi said that mass production of the hovercraft will increase the mobility and operational capabilities of Iranian Naval Forces.

In addition, he said that through completing the project to manufacture the hovercraft, the experts at the Defense Ministry not only managed to build an indigenous combat vehicle but also improved the technology of domestically designed mechanical, hydraulic, and electronic systems.

Meanwhile, Iran unveiled 3 new missile and artillery systems during this week’s military maneuver.

The 3 domestically-built missile and artillery systems would be a significant boost to Iran's military defences, said Farzad Esmaili, Head of Iran's Air Defence Headquarters.

“The low-altitude missile system “Ya Zahra 3” is completely indigenous and Iranian and has been designed and produced to suit internal needs,” Esmaili was quoted as saying by the Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA).

He said the second missile system named “Qader” was highly mobile and could be deployed in less than 30 minutes, while a new artillery system named 'Safat' could escape detection by enemy surveillance.

The third missile is named “Safat”.

The massive four-day joint maneuver, entitled the Defenders of the Sky of Velayat 4, was launched in the eastern province of South Khorassan on Monday.