Iran's naval forces receive homegrown state-of-the-art cruise missile

Iran's armed forces have taken delivery of domestically designed and manufactured “Abu Mahdi” cruise missile, which features state-of-the-art technologies suitable for electronic warfare.

The indigenous missile was supplied to the Islamic Republic of Iran Navy and the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy during a ceremony on Tuesday with defense authorities in attendance.

Abu Mahdi naval cruise missile has reportedly been developed by military experts at Aerospace Industries Organization (AIO), a subordinate of the Iranian Defense Ministry and a leading high-tech complex headquartered in Tehran.

It is said to be the first homegrown long-range naval cruise missile that employs artificial intelligence in the software for designing the missile’s flight path and the command and control systems.

The missile can penetrate into natural and artificial barriers, as well as the enemy’s radar and defense systems and strike designated targets from different directions.

Due to the incorporation of highly destructive explosive materials in its warhead, Abu Mahdi can destroy all types of ships, frigates, and destroyers.

It can be fired from the depths of the Iranian soil toward moving targets in the sea using an advanced integrated navigation system and a powerful propulsion system.

Abu Mahdi is the first long-range naval cruise missile in Iran that uses dual-mode active and passive seekers.

The technology enables the missile to counter the enemy’s electronic warfare and increases its stealth capabilities when approaching the target and hitting it. All this happens with the enemy not having noticed the missile and missing the opportunity to give a timely response.

Its launcher can load and fire missiles in the shortest possible time and can launch several projectiles in quick succession and from different directions toward a specific target, with the missiles hitting the designated target all at once.

The missile can be fired from all types of mobile and fixed launch pads, and its navigation system is capable of updating the target’s final position during the cruise.

The military achievement has been named after the former deputy head of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Units who was assassinated along with top Iranian anti-terror commander Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani in a US drone strike ordered by former President Donald Trump near the Baghdad International Airport in January 2020.

Iranian military experts and engineers have in recent years made remarkable breakthroughs in manufacturing a broad range of indigenous equipment, making the armed forces self-sufficient.

Iranian officials have repeatedly underscored that the country will not hesitate to strengthen its military capabilities, including its missile power, which are entirely meant for defense, and that Iran’s defense capabilities will be never subject to negotiations.

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has repeatedly called for efforts to maintain and boost Iran’s defense capabilities.

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