Mesbah-1 Air Defense System
The newly unveiled Mesbah-1 ("Lantern-1") appears to be a mobile, short range AAA system, which includes defense in the anti-cruise missile/PGM role.
The Mesbah-1 incorporates an automated, radar-guided ZU-23-8 gun system, making it well suited against even very small and LO PGMs. Claimed firing rate is 4000 rounds per minute.
Precise 3D phased array radar mounted atop an enclosed operating trailer
TI-optical tracking system, also mounted atop an enclosed operating trailer
This Mesbah (Lantern) Radar controlled (looks like a phase array radar) AAA system with optical tracking and linked with a SAM system is based on the well tried system ZSU 4 quads Zu-23-2 guns (8 individual guns in total). This 23mm auto feed AAA would operate like a US Phalanx or Swiss Oerlikon (Iran has experience with both) at knocking out low level drones, planes and cruise missiles. Iran also deployed the mobile version of Misagh 2 SAM system that operates in conjunction with these rapid fire saturation AAA systems. The rate of fire from the 8 guns would exceed oround 3000-4000 rounds per minute ensuring target destruction.
"Mesbah (Lantern) 1 air-defense system is designed and built to counter air attacks, different kinds of airplanes, cruise missiles, choppers and other air threats in low altitudes," Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi said.
"The defense system has been designed on the basis of increasing the volume of fire and controlling it by a reliable system," Vahidi added.
He said high destruction power, decreased number of the needed crew in comparison with similar defense artilleries, rapid reaction against threats, high volume of fire with 4,000 shots per minute and increased targeting precision are among the major features of the newly produced defense system.
Vahidi reminded that the Mesbah 1 missile shield is also capable of tracing and intercepting Unmanned Arial Vehicles (UAVs).
Vahidi had announced on Sunday that his ministry produced a powerful anti-missile system to destroy incoming cruise missiles.
"Experts at the defense ministry have succeeded in building a short-range air-defense artillery system that is able to fire 4,000 shots per minute," Vahidi said in an interview with FNA.
"The system has been produced to confront military threats flying at low altitudes such as cruise missiles," the minister went on saying.
Vahidi stressed that the system will officially start operation in the near future.
He also pointed out that the ministry is working on different short-range, mid-range and long-range air-defense systems.
Earlier in September 2009, a senior Iranian commander announced that the country's experts managed to build hi-tech missile defense systems capable of tracing and intercepting Cruise Missiles.
"Today, we can not only trace, but also destroy radar-evading Cruise Missiles," Commander of Khatam ol-Anbia Air Defense Base Brigadier General Ahmad Miqani said.
Miqani also described continued optimization of the existing systems, good interaction with universities and industries, building dozens of home-made flaks capable of competing with the world's modern systems and building anti-aircraft missiles and military and civil defenses as among the most important activities of the base.
Tehran launched an arms development program during the 1980-88 Iraqi imposed war on Iran, to compensate for a US weapons embargo. Since 1992, Iran has produced its own tanks, armored personnel carriers, missiles, fighter jets and other high-tech weapons.
P
anyway congrats on it great achievement
