Iranian long-range artillery ammo (130 mm HERA)

click photo to enlarge

From PressTV:

Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi has inaugurated the production line of Iran's longest-range artillery ammunitions.

Speaking at the inaugural ceremony of the mass production of Base bleed projectiles in the capital Tehran, General Vahidi said the new 130 mm base bleed rocket assisted (HERA) artillery shells will provide the longest range of such for the Islamic Republic's army, Iran's Defense Ministry said on its website.

“These munitions use solid propellants that behave like ballistic missiles,” the Iranian defense minister noted.

He also lauded Iranian experts at the arms production division of the country's defense industries for their efforts to modify the base bleed system in order to further enhance the range of the ammunitions from 27 to 42 kilometers.

The defense minister also said such achievements demonstrate that sanctions against Iran have been ineffective.

Base bleed is a system used on some artillery shells to increase their range, typically by about 30%.

Reshaping some artillery shells can significantly reduce the drag on the shells' nose when soaring at supersonic speeds.

Engineers have come up with certain aerodynamic re-patterning of suitable artillery shells to give them proper ballistics through boosting thrust and diminishing airflow pressure.

Photos: Vahid Reza Alayi at JameJamOnline.ir

Ali Behzadi, Senior Iranian Journalist, Dies in Tehran

Ali Behzadi: 1925-2010

By Nader Uskowi

Ali Behzadi, the former editor of Sepid-O-Siah, and one of Iran’s most prominent journalists, died yesterday in Tehran at the age of 85. He started the magazine in 1953 that soon became the country’s leading journal. The magazine’s social commentaries finally caused it to be closed by the Shah’s government in 1974.

I first met Mr. Behzadi in 1978 at the height of the revolution in Iran. I was trying to start my own daily, Neday-e Azadi, and he wanted to revive his Sepid-O-Siah ("Black & White"). We met regularly to compare notes and find a suitable printing house to publish our journals. I beat him on that after Ayandegan, then Tehran’s most prominent daily, allowed me to print Neday-e Azadi at their presses after their early morning run. It took Behzadi couple of more months to publish Sepid-O-Siah. He would later joke with me, in his sweet Rashti accent, that my “leftist” credentials this time actually came to my rescue.

Sepid-O-Siah, and Neday-e Azadi, were closed down, this time by the Islamic Revolutionary authorities, barely a year after their publication.

Behzadi later started a new journal, Danestaniha, with his daughter as publisher, which also became immensely popular during the Iran-Iraq war for its extensive coverage of military hardware and war development.

Uskowi on Iran extends its sincere condolences to Behzadi’s family and to all Iranian journalists on the loss of one our senior colleagues and mentors.

Photo: bbc.co.uk

Improved Fateh ballistic missile test launch

Iran has successfully test-fired a new version of the domestically-built Fateh (Conqueror) missile, Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi says.

Addressing a group of reporters on Wednesday, General Vahidi announced that the new generation of Fateh-110 is a 250-kilometer surface-to-surface ballistic missile, with 1) increased range, 2) increased precision, 3) less preparation time required and 4) a faster launch.

The Fateh missile is nine meters (29 feet) long and weighs 3,500 kilograms (7,700 pounds).

Photos:

click to enlarge

Video:

Photos: Vahid Reza Alayi at JameJamOnline.ir

Video: aminiranform

Iran to exploit uranium

"After Bushehr power plant, exploration and exploitation of uranium is on the agenda. This issue is going on well."

- Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi

Iran last week over-watched by inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency has started to fuel its Bushehr nuclear power plant.

The completion of the plant was supposed to be 1999 but political and economic pressure from the United States severely delayed construction efforts, also between 2003 and 2007 Iran froze its nuclear program following the invasion of Iraq.

The senior nuclear official has expressed hope the electricity generated in the plant would be connected to the country's main electricity network within the next three months.

***

An interesting (not entirely unrelated note) the Shah of Iran had plans to invest in nuclear power nearly 40 years ago as evident in this article:


(Click for large)

Vahidi 'Iran ready to equip Lebanese Army'

Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi says Iran is fully prepared to provide the Lebanese Army with weaponry.

Following an incident about a month ago when Israeli and Lebanese Army units exchanged gunfire after Israel attempted to move a tree at the Lebanese side of the border resulted in 3 Lebanese soldiers and an Israeli military officer dead has frozen 100 million dollars in military aid destined for Lebanon.

As a result of this Lebanese President Michel Sleiman has asked Iran to sell advanced military equipment to the Lebanese Army, Hezbollah has supported this decision saying that Lebanon should get military equipment from friendly countries.

The Lebanese Air Force last year ordered some MiG-29 Fulcrum fighters from Russia but have since replaced the order with 6 Mil Mi-24 Hind gunships.

Zolfaghar and Seraj-1 High-Speed Combat Boats

The production lines for the Seraj-1 high-speed patrol boats and a new generation of the Zolfaghar fast attack craft were launched on Monday by Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi.

The new generation of the Zolfaghar vessel is capable of launching Nasr-1 missiles, and sailing at a speed of 70 knots (82 mph). It is claimed to be able to operate in an average wave height of 1.21 meters while its missiles will effectively work at a height of 1.25 meters.

At the production launch, Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Navy (IRGCN) Rear Admiral Ali Fadavi said that speed boats, especially the newly mass-produced missile-launching vessels, have granted high mobility and power to the IRGC Navy and made it a unique force in the world.

"As regards high-speed missile-launching vessels, no country in the world enjoys such a power (that Iran has)," Fadavi said, addressing a ceremony held to mark inauguration of the production lines of two types of new speed vessels.

"We emphasize that we have gained a unique power in this field of naval defense," Fadavi went on saying.

Admiral Fadavi further compared the high speed of the Iranian vessels and the IRGC Navy's high mobility with the US Navy, and said, "US warships currently have a maximum speed of 31 knots while the Iranian vessels can traverse twice as fast on average."

The commander further stressed his forces' capability to repel possible attacks on the country, and stated, "Given the unimaginable growth in Iran's defensive power, we can defend our country's borders and interests in the best possible way."

Meantime, Fadavi stressed that the country's growing trend of defensive power would continue at a higher pace in future.

Photos:

click photos to enlarge

Seraj-1 HSPB armed with 107 mm MRLS

and bow mounted DShK 12.7 mm HMG

Seraj-1, starboard side

Seraj-1, port side

Seraj-1 at speed

Zolfaghar FAC armed with bow mounted DShK 12.7 mm HMG

and a pair of Nasr-1 missile launchers

Defense Minister Vahidi peers out from the control station

Interior view of the Zolfaghar control station

Zolfaghar propeller detail

Zolfaghar FAC in production stage

Zolfaghar at speed (1)

Zolfaghar at speed (2)

Metal working facilities

Fiberglass construction facilities

Fiberglass construction details

Videos:

Photo credits:

Hamed Haghdoust at Fars News Agency

Abdolfazi Salmanzadeh at Mehr News Agency

Vahid Reza Alayi at JamejamOnline.ir

Hamid Forootan at Iranian Students News Agency

VahidReza Alaei at Borna News Agency

Karrar UCAV- part 2

The Karrar (UCAV) appears to take advantage of existing target drone technology.

Detail of solid rocket booster and jet engine exhaust. Armament appears to be a Mk. 82 type bomb.

Rear view suggests a (closed) chute canopy, for drone retrieval.

Rocket assisted takeoff

Rocket assisted takeoff (2)

Karrar UCAV production facilities (1)

Karrar UCAV production facilities (2)

Video:

Photos: Islamic Republic News Agency

Iran unveils the Karrar UCAV

Iran has unveiled its first domestically-manufactured long-range Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle (UCAV), in a ceremony marking Defense Industry Day in the country.

The unveiling of the home-made drone, named Karrar (Striker) took place in the presence of Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and a number of defense officials.

The 4-meter long plane is claimed capable of delivering a military payload on bombing missions against ground targets. Jet powered (Tolue-4 or Tolue-5?), it is claimed to have a 1000 km range and a maximum speed of approximately 1000 kph.

Video:

Photo stills: PressTV
Video: aminiranforum

Fueling begins at Bushehr nuclear power plant

click photos to enlarge

Photos: Iranian Students News Agency

Iran test fires new Qiam-1 ballistic missile

Iran's new surface-to-surface missile, Qiam-1 (Rising), has been successfully test fired, the country's Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi says.

"Being a new class of Iranian missile, Qiam-1 has been equipped with new technical specifications and exceptional tactical powers," the general said during this week's Friday prayers in Tehran.

"Qiam-1 is part of the new generation of the Islamic Republic's surface-to-surface missiles with liquid fuel and completely designed and built domestically," General Vahidi noted.

He explained that the missile is equipped with a smart navigation system, which decreases the possibility of it being targeted by other projectiles.

Vahidi added that the liquid-fuel missile's launch time is low due to its smart targeting system. "It enjoys enhanced agility due to the scrapping of its fins."

"The missile can hit targets with high precision," the general noted.

Source: Press TV

click photos to enlarge

Video:

Photos: Mehr News Agency

Breaking Fast at the Feet of the Boss!

Ahmadinejad and other "senior" leaders of the Islamic Republic

breaking fast in Ramadan at the feet of the supreme leader

Tehran. 19 August 2010

Photo: Leader.ir

CIA to Start New Anti-WMD Unit; Reveals Discovery of Iran’s Fordo Enrichment Site

The CIA Director Leon Panetta said today in Washington that his agency has created a new counter-proliferation center bringing operators and analysts together to combat the spread of WMD.

Meanwhile, a CIA spokesman, George Little, was quoted by AP today as saying that the agency was responsible for the discovery last year of then-undeclared uranium enrichment facility near the Iranian city of Qum, presumably the Fordo enrichment unit. This is the first time that the US has acknowledged that the Fordo unit was discovered by the CIA.

The AP report also quotes Paul Brannan, a senior analyst at the Institute for Science and International Security, as saying that the CIA was successful in slowing down Iran's nuclear centrifuge operations at Natanz allegedly by sneaking "faulty parts into Iran's nuclear supply chain." [AP, 18 August].

Khamenei: No Talks with US

Ayatollah Khamanei. Tehran. 18 August 2010

Photo: Press TV

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said today Iran will not negotiate with the US as long as there are sanctions and threats against Tehran.

“The respected president (Ahmadinejad) and senior officials have said that we are ready for negotiation. That’s right but not with an America that seeks negotiations overshadowed by threats, sanctions and bullying,” Ayatollah Khamenei said in a speech to an audience of senior Iranian officials including Ahmadinejad and broadcast on state TV [IRIB & Press TV, 18 August].

“They should drop the face of a superpower, they should drop threats, they should drop sanctions and they should not set a goal for negotiation. Then we are ready," he added.

In late July, President Ahmadinejad said nuclear talks with the six powers, including the US, would start in early September, but Khamenei's comments raise questions about those discussions.

Khamenei also warned the US against launching an attack against Iran and said if Washington chooses to resort to military means against Iran, the confrontation will not be restricted to the region alone.

"It's unlikely that they (US) will make such a stupidity (to attack Iran) but all must know that if this threat is carried out, the field of the Iranian nation's confrontation will not be only our region," Khamenei said. "The area of confrontation will be much wider."

Meanwhile, today Iran filed a formal complaint at the UN against the US for recent comments made by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen. The complaint said the admiral had “threatened” Iran with military action under the “false pretense” that Iran is developing nuclear weapons.

Iran’s Unemployment Rate Jumps to 15 Percent

Iran’s unemployment rate has reached 15 percent in the quarter ending 21 June, a jump of 4 percentage points over the same period last year. The government-owned Statistics Center of Iran that released the unexpectedly high rate of unemployment growth said in a statement today in Tehran that recent draught in some parts of Iran was a contributing factor. The government’s unemployment figures are not verified by independent sources.

Fighter Jet Crash in Bushehr

An Iranian F-4 Phantom fighter jet crashed today in Bushehr. The crews of two sustained injuries and were hospitalized. They are reported to be in fair condition. The crash occurred at 10:10 AM local time near Bushehr’s Industrial Complex. Iran’s first nuclear power plant will be fueled up later this week in Bushehr.

Iran to Start New Uranium Enrichment Sites

Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) has announced it plans to build 10 new uranium enrichment facilities inside protected mountain sites.

"Studies for the location of 10 other uranium enrichment facilities has ended," said Ali Akbar Salehi, the director of AEOI.

"Construction of a new uranium enrichment site will begin by the end of the (Iranian) year (March 2011) or early next year," Salehi added. "The new enrichment facilities will be built inside mountains." [IRIB, 15 August].

Currently, Iran's Natanz enrichment facility is enriching uranium (to a level of 20 percent) and another facility near Qom, Fordo, is under construction.

Iran’s first nuclear power reactor in Bushehr will become operational next week. No locally enriched uranium will be used to operate the Bushehr reactor. Russia is providing the fuel.

Tehran: Veterans Stop Mashaie’s Speech; Ahmadinejad Defending His Chief of Staff

Today, in a rare public display of hardliners’ dismay at Ahmadinejad’s chief of staff, Eskandar Rahim Mashaie, the participants at a large gathering of the veterans of the Islamic revolution and the Iraq war forced Mashaie to stop his speech and leave the podium. The disturbance occurred while Mashaie was introducing Ahmadinejad to the audience. Ahmadinejad then went to the podium and strongly supported Mashaie and compared him to the heroes of the Iranian revolution, Ayatollah Beheshti and the slain former president Rajaie. The audience listened in silence and later expressed their disbelief at Ahmadinejad’s spirited defense of Mashaie. Mr. Mashaie is accused by the hardliners of spreading the idea that the country’s “Iranian identity” is paramount and more important than its “Islamic identity.”

Mashaie’s comments have brought about a torrent of harsh criticism from the right. Iran’s armed forces chief of staff, Maj. Gen. Hassan Firouzabadi, has accused Mashaie of working against Iran’s national security and the principles and doctrines of the Islamic Republic.

Jomhouri Eslami, a newspaper closely linked to the clerical establishment, as well as Tabnak, a popular online news site controlled by former IRGC commander Mohsen Rezaie, have carried the news of the disturbance in today’s gathering in Tehran.

Mashaie Controversy Ctd

Mashaie, left, with Ahmadinejad

Maj. Gen. Hassan Firouzabadi

By Nader Uskowi

Esfandiar Rahim Mashaie, President Ahmadinejad’s chief of staff, said in Tehran he will sue Maj. Gen. Hassan Firouzabadi, the chief of staff of Iran’s armed forces, over his recent comments questioning Mashaie's loyalty to the Islamic Republic. Gen. Firouzabadi, using unusually sharp language, has accused Mashaie of working against the national security of Iran and against the principles and doctrines of the Islamic Republic. Mashaie is accused of spreading the idea that the country’s “Iranian identity” is paramount and more important than its “Islamic identity.”

The harsh attack by the country’s most senior uniformed officer against the president’s chief of staff raises thorny questions. Mashaie is not only Ahmadinejad’s chief of staff but also his closest advisor and confidant. Accusing him publicly of crimes against national security by no less a figure than the head of the armed forces is an attack on the president.

Firouzabadi himself is a powerful Basiji and a confidant of the supreme leader. Mashaie, by emphasizing the Iranian identity of the country, wants to appeal to the emerging new middle class and use it as a power base in the volatile (and increasingly uncivil) politics of the Islamic Republic, but he might not have much of a fighting chance against the head of the armed forces.

Mashaie/Ahmadinejad photo: ISNA file photo

Firouzabadi photo: Press TV file photo