Iranian Generals Reveal New Weapons Systems and Methods, Discuss Possibility of Confrontation With U.S. Forces in Persian Gulf

MEMRI.org:

The following are excerpts from interviews with Iranian army generals on the subject of recent war games. The interviews aired on the Iranian News Channel (IRINN) on August 21, 2006, and on Iranian Channel 2 on August 17, 2006. READ MORE

Iranian Channel 2, August 17

Admiral Sajjad Kouchaki, commander of the navy of the Iranian Army: "We have made achievements in building submarines of various tonnages."

Interviewer: "I recall a two-seater submarine which was tested two or three years ago. Have you built other submarines as well?"

Sajjad Kouchaki: "Yes. This is a small submarine for two divers. We have built larger submarines. Today, we are building submarines weighing 120-500 tons. These submarines can reach any depth in the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman and the north of the Indian Ocean, and can 'shadow' the enemy's vessels very closely.

"Another technological aspect I can tell you about is the building of missile boats. These boats can carry anti-ship missiles, with a range of over 100 kilometers. I am pleased to say that these missiles were designed and built with the help of personnel and experts from the army, the Defense Ministry, and the universities."

Interviewer: "Are these guided missiles?"

Sajjad Kouchaki: "Yes, they are."

[...]

"I would like to take this opportunity to talk about the brigades of the marines. I am pleased to say that our brigades are stationed today on the Abu Musa and Sirri islands, protecting them with all their might. These brigades can be divided into over 1,500 special operations teams, which can deploy throughout the Persian Gulf, from the northernmost tip to the southernmost tip, the port of Gavater, and can attack the enemy below surface, above surface, from the air, and from the shore. I am pleased to say that we have this capability."

Interviewer: "Mr. Kouchaki, will you conduct new testing in this maneuver?"

Sajjad Kouchaki: "Yes. I am pleased to say that we have many defense technologies in this field. In general, I can tell you that several submarines will be tested in this maneuver."

Interviewer: "For the first time?"

Sajjad Kouchaki: "Yes. I can also say that unmanned aerial vehicles for combat and reconnaissance will be used for the first time in this maneuver, as well as torpedoes that we built ourselves, which can be launched from submarines and boats, as well as from islands or from the shore, to hit the designated targets.

"In this maneuver, we are operating launching equipment for missiles, torpedoes, and mines. In addition, COMINT equipment and active and passive sonar will be used in this maneuver."

[...]

General Abdolrahim Mousavi, head of the Iranian army's Joint Staff: "Our planes have been given to us by their country of manufacture, but if these countries ever face our planes, they will see things that even they could not imagine. The modifications our planes have undergone - in their systems for combat, identification, missiles, launching, and smart bombs - all of these are not what they had built."

[...]

Sajjad Kouchaki: "Our tactics are completely different from the enemy's conventional tactics. This means that our submarines can easily get near the enemy. Even our enemies know full well that one of our submarines passed under one of their [vessels], without their noticing. We came close to their anchored vessels, and we even filmed their anchor chain. We followed them through a periscope at a depth of one kilometer, without their noticing. All these methods and tactics are non-classical and non-conventional, constituting unbalanced warfare."

Interviewer: "Mr. Kouchaki, can a boat, for example, be loaded with explosives, and directed, by remote control, towards some warship?"

Sajjad Kouchaki: "Yes, it can be done below surface, above surface, and from the air."

Interviewer: "How can [the enemy] confront this - by interception?"

Sajjad Kouchaki: "Yes, that's the method, but we need to use the element of surprise."

Interviewer: "What would happen if a hundred of these are used simultaneously?"

Sajjad Kouchaki: "Naturally, they would be able to intercept some, but others would hit the target. However, I don't think this is a good method, if we use the unconventional tactics of unbalanced warfare."

Interviewer: "What you mean is that all options are open, and even if we are technologically inferior, we have methods of confronting [the enemy]."

Sajjad Kouchaki: "Yes."

[...]

Interviewer: "Mr. Kouchaki, is there a division of labor between you and the IRGC navy, or do you complement one another?"

Sajjad Kouchaki: "I am delighted to say that you have asked a very good question. These two navies complement one another. As our honorable leader [Khamenei] has said, these are two branches and two navies that complement one another.

"The IRGC navy has good experience in the strategic dimension of speed boats, anti-ship missiles, and techniques and tactics of unbalanced warfare."

[...]

Abdolrahim Mousavi: "Regarding what Admiral Kouchaki said, the same submarine that passed underneath the American warship could have done other things as well. It could pass underneath it again - doing other things. The same goes for the unmanned planes. The same unmanned plane that flew over the warships in the Persian Gulf, taking pictures of them all, can do other things if equipped with a warhead. No matter how large they are, they have vulnerabilities."

[...]

Iranian News Channel (IRINN), August 21, 2006

General Ja'fari, Iranian Army: "Another aspect of this maneuver is the use of new weapons and systems by our soldiers. This new equipment includes bullets designed to penetrate bulletproof vests. That's the way it is in war. Whenever something new is made, something is immediately made to counter it. Once they used to talk about electronic warfare. Later they talked about anti-electronic warfare. Then they talked about anti-anti-electronic warfare. Today, there are bulletproof vests, and they are used by the enemy. We have manufactured ammunition that can penetrate these vests, and they were tested in this maneuver."

[...]

General Kiomars Heidari, spokesman for the maneuver: "Today, we tested three systems, in order to make the airspace of the area of the maneuver unsafe for the attacking planes and helicopters of the enemy. These systems have been proven very successful. Our first system was an air-mine. It is being tested for the first time in our country, and with great success. With this system, we can make a large part of our country's airspace unsafe for the enemy's planes. The second system was a light, portable, shoulder-launched missile, manufactured by our military industries. These missiles are portable, and are carried and operated by a single person. These missiles too can make a large part of the country unsafe for the enemy's planes."

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