Iran Navy test-fires 1st anti-radar missile

Iran's Navy test fired its anti-radar missile in the Strait of Hormuz on January 1, 2012 (file photo)

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/218771.html

Iran's navy has successfully test-fired its first home-built medium-range anti-radar missile during the ongoing major naval maneuvers near the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

The new Iranian surface-to-air missile was launched Sunday during the “power phase” of the massive 10-day drills, said Rear Admiral Mahmoud Mousavi, the spokesman for Iranian Navy's Velayat 90 war games.

The mid-range missile, designed and manufactured by Iranian experts, is equipped with state-of-the-art technology and an intelligent system that enables it to target radio emission sources and thwart jammers, Mousavi added.

On the second day of the power phase, the naval forces will launch anti-surface torpedoes from the Ghadir-class submarines. The Iranian marine units will also be deployed aboard sea vessels and target radar-evading drones by shoulder-launched missiles, the Iranian commander noted.

On the concluding day of the power phase on Monday, a major contingent of the surface, subsurface and naval aviation units will organize into a new tactical arrangement to prepare for the last phase of the naval drills, Mousavi said.

Iran's Navy launched the massive 10-day naval exercises on December 24. The military maneuvers cover an area from east of the strategic Strait of Hormuz at the mouth of the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Aden.

The military drills take place in line with a recent directive by the Leader of the Islamic Revolution Seyyed Ali Khamenei, instructing Iranian armed forces to maintain total readiness to defend the nation against any potential threats.

Iran maintains that the maneuvers are defensive in nature and intend to convey a message of peace and friendship to the countries of the region. It has also extended a public invitation to regional states to hold joint naval drills with Iranian forces.

Iran produces first nuclear fuel rod

Tehran Research Reactor

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/218778.html

Iranian nuclear scientists have successfully managed to build and test the country's first nuclear fuel rod containing natural uranium, a report says.

According to the public relations office of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization (IAEO), the rod has undergone various physical and dimensional tests and has been inserted into the core of Tehran's Research Reactor.

The fuel rod has been exposed to radiation of about 1,500 megawatt hours and passed neutron-related tests in terms of radioactivity level and non-leakage of the radioactive materials during initial phases at diverse power levels, the report added.

Currently, the rod is also undergoing rays at Tehran's Research Reactor to examine its long-term performance.

Over the past years, Iranian nuclear experts have managed to utilize the reactor to meet the nation's requirements for radiopharmaceuticals.