The Iranian news agency Tasnim said today that Tehran had received the first batch of interceptor missiles of the Russian S-300 PMU-2 air defense system. Parts of the systems, including radars and reloaders, were unveiled during April 17, 2016, National Army Day. According to the contract signed in 2007, Iran ordered five batteries of S-300 PMU 1, but Moscow blocked the delivery of those systems under the sanctions imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council. The original contract revised in 2015 enabled Moscow to upgrade the systems delivered to Iran to the more advanced PMU2 version. The system is expected to reach operational capability within months.
Elbit Systems Introduces a New Tactical UAS: the Hermes 650 Spark
Elbit Systems has rolled out the Hermes 650 Spark, the latest addition to its Hermes family of Uncrewed Aerial Systems (UAS). Spark is designed to be the contemporary successor to the long-serving Hermes 450, aiming to modernize UAS fleets that currently consist of mixed 450/900 models or are exclusively equipped with the 450 variants.