Iran army launches high-tech missile boat

Iran's Navy has started employing the most advanced home-made missile boat named Sina in a bid to bolster its defense naval capabilities.

The Sina class warship officially set sail in the Caspian Sea in northern Iran in a ceremony attended by Iran's Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi and commander of the Iranian navy Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari.

The vessel has been designed and built by experts of Iran's Defense Ministry, in cooperation with Iran's army.

It has more than a hundred radar, artillery, electronic and telecommunication systems and is also equipped with modern navigation systems.

Access to this advanced scientific and research technology carries Iran's message of peace and friendship for regional countries.

Meanwhile, a top Iranian army commander said Tuesday that the country would produce an advanced version of its Sejil missile.

"A new generation of optimized and advanced Sejil missiles will be produced," the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Air Force Commander Brigadier General Hossein Salami told state news agency IRNA.

"The solid-fuel long-range Sejil missile has been tested since last year and was delivered to the armed forces and the IRGC air forces in particular," he said.

"The two-stage Sejil has high accuracy and destructive capability and is amongst the most advanced missile systems that the armed forces have.”

Salami stressed that Iran's missile production industry would not stop and said, "Iran's missile industry has been indigenous and is increasing every day."

On Monday, Iran successfully test-fired long-range Shahab-3 and Sejil missiles in the third and last stage of an advanced military drill named The Great Prophet IV, which was carried out by the IRGC.

The optimized Shahab-3 has a range of 1,300 to 2,000 kilometers.

The Sejil is a two-stage missile powered by solid fuel which was tested by the IRGC for the first time in the maneuver.

Both of the projectiles accurately hit their designated targets.

The IRGC successfully test-fired several models of medium-range Shahab-1 and Shahab-2 missiles during the first and second stages of the military drill in central Iran Sunday night.

Salami said the Shahab-2 missiles would hit targets at least 300 kilometers and at the most 700 kilometers away.

The missile tests come as Israel has stepped up its war rhetoric against Iran, repeatedly threatening to bomb the country's nuclear installations.

Iran has vowed a 'firm response' to any military action by Israel, which claims that Tehran is secretly developing nuclear weapons -- a charge denied by both Iran and the UN nuclear watchdog.