The last two weeks have seen multiple articles in Iranian pro-regime media hyping what it claims is its “tactical Sayyad” air defense system.
Iran claims this system, which is launched from a military-style truck, can detect up to 24 targets at a time at a distance of around 180 km. It can then engage up to 12 of those targets. Iran claims this is an indigenous system, built and developed in Iran. This would be in contrast to other systems that Iran may have developed by modeling them on foreign air defense missiles, such as S-200s.
“The Tactical Sayyad has a short-range self-protection system in one of its silos that makes the weapon immune to low-altitude threats,” Tasnim News wrote in late August.
“The official noted that the new air defense system has become more agile since its radars and missile launchers have been merged into a single vehicle.”
There is some lack of clarity about the claimed performance of this system. Various reports claim it can engage six to 12 targets at a range of 120 km. That means the system would detect threats and then track them, prioritizing which to shoot at.
Iran brags about its deterrence
Why does this matter?
Iran is bragging that it is “deterring” other countries in the region and making enemies “more cautious.” Furthermore Iran’s military leaders “warned Iran is capable of targeting the enemy’s vital and sensitive interests all over the place in case it has ill intentions. Officials assured that areas even far from the bordering regions are monitored by Iran’s air defense units to confront any possible threat,” according to Fars News.
“The powerful Islamic Republic of Iran Air Defense Force is the absolute air defense power in the region, and this is an undeniable fact. The equipment that we currently use in the country’s air defense is 100% indigenous and is the most equipped and state-of-the-art on the edge of global technology,” an Iranian general said, pro-regime media said.
Why is Iran pushing reports about its air defenses basically every day with new reports?
On September 8 there was another report at Tasnim News. “Today, the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Army Air Defense Force possesses the most advanced and well-equipped systems, and it is an undeniable fact that our armed forces possess superior air defense capabilities in the region, and our enemies are well aware of this,” Iran’s Adm. Alireza Tangsiri said.
Is Iran’s latest bragging linked to an October 18, 2023 expiration of sanctions relating to Iran’s missile programs?
This is a possibility. Iran wants to purchase new fighter jets and it recently unveiled a Yak training aircraft it has apparently received from Russia. A separate October 2020 sanction that related to tanks and jets had expired in 2200. Clearly, discussions of missiles are related to possible exports and imports. However, the tactical air defense system isn’t unique or long-range. Iran may want to export it to places like Syria, Iraq, and Lebanon, or elsewhere. On the other hand, Iran may merely want to show it is “deterring” others.
However, what’s the overall point of showcasing an air defense system like this?
The system may be more advanced than an S-200, but its range is similar. The performance of Syrian air defense crews using S-200s has been dismal over the years. Iran works closely with Syria. Iran may be suggesting it can roll out a better system that could help its partners in the region.
Other than that consideration, Iran may also be bragging that its defenses can detect drones and other threats at long ranges and neutralize them if need be. Iran has claimed in the past it faced drone threats or that it had to counter perceived threats in the Gulf amid tensions with the US. Recently Iran also threatened US forces in Syria.
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