A new domestically developed surface-to-surface ballistic missile called the Emad was successfully tested by the Defense Ministry on Sunday.
The missile, which was designed and manufactured by Iranian experts, is the first Iranian long-range missile able to be guided and controlled until it hits the target with a high level of precision which results in total destruction, Fars News Agency quoted Defense Minister Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan as saying. Dehqan also said the Defense Ministry plans to develop its missile capability to increase the country's deterrence power.
He described the successful launch of the Emad as a technological and operational "leap" in the field of missiles. "We will not ask for permission to improve our defense capability and missile power," the high-ranking military official said. Iran will press ahead with its defense plans, especially the missile program, and the Emad missile is a solid proof of Tehran's resolve to bolster defense capabilities, he added. Delivering the Emad to the missile units of the armed forces, following its mass production, will provide Iran with "dramatically increased" tactical and operational missile power, the minister stressed.
