News / Defense

Iran’s IRGC unveils new domestically-made anti-armor missile

Wednesday, 28 February 2018 2:58 PM [ Last Update: Wednesday, 28 February 2018 3:01 PM ]

Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari (4th-L), the chief commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), attends a ceremony to unveil the Azarakhsh anti-armor missile in Tehran on February 28, 2018. (Photo by Tasnim)

Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has unveiled a new domestically-manufactured anti-armor missile that can be mounted on combat helicopters.

The missile, dubbed Azarakhsh (Thunderbolt), was unveiled during a ceremony attended by the chief commander of the IRGC, Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari, on Wednesday.

Azarakhsh can be used in low-altitude air operations and against ground targets.

The 127-millimeter caliber missile weighs around 70 kg and is 3,096 mm long.

The air-to-surface and surface-to-surface missile has a range of 10 km and a maximum speed of 550 meters per second.

It is also equipped with thermographic detectors.

During recent years, Iran has made major breakthroughs in its defense sector and attained self-sufficiency in producing important military equipment and systems, including different types of missiles.

Iran has also conducted several military drills to enhance the defense capabilities of its armed forces and to test modern military tactics and state-of-the-art army equipment.

The Islamic Republic maintains that its military might poses no threat to other countries, stating that its defense doctrine is merely based on deterrence.

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