Iran announced it had successfully tested S-300 air defense system in Damavand military drills on Saturday.
“The S-300 air defense system has been tested… in the presence of government and military officials,” state television said.
A number of high ranking Iranian military officials also were present in the drills which was held in an unnamed air defense base, IRNA news agency reported.
The operation was aimed at evaluating the performance of the S-300 system in targeting a wide range of missiles and drones as well as assessing the human performance in operating the system.
Iranian military personnel completely operated the system according to simulation scenarios which replicated detection, identification, tracing, and targeting of the potential aerial threats.
The system also fully managed to target and destroy aerial vehicles successfully.
Iran’s activation of the defense system comes amid mounting tensions with the new US administration of President Donald Trump, who imposed sanctions after Iran tested a medium-range ballistic missile in January.
The deal to buy the S-300 system was originally signed in 2007 but Russia suspended it in 2010 citing a UN ban on arms sales to Iran.
It was revived after the nuclear deal between Iran and major powers went into effect in January last year.
In August, state television aired footage of the system being installed around the Fordo nuclear site in a mountain near Qom, south of the capital.
Source: AFP
