Iranian defense budget not sufficient for current threats

Azerbaijan, Baku, Jul. 5/ Trend, R. Zamanov

Iran's defense budget is not sufficient given the current foreign threats to the country, Deputy Commander of the Iranian Armed Forces, Coordination Division Brigadier General Mohammad Hossein Dadras said on Friday.

"Among 16 countries in the region, Iran ranks 15 in terms of its defense budget, but the country's military capabilities are acceptable, the Mehr News Agency quoted Dadras as saying.

He went on to note that Iran is currently self-sufficient in producing military hardware.

The Fars News Agency reported on May 12 that the Iranian parliament (Majlis) approved the allocation of $5 billion to the national defense budget.

The allocated budget is close to last year's defense budget.

Iran's defense budget was increased 127 percent to around $5 billion during the last solar year, which started on March 19, 2012.

In April, Iranian Deputy Army Commander Brigadier General Kioumars Heydari said the army will unveil new pieces of military hardware in a service exercise which will be held soon.

Several domestically manufactured personnel carriers, anti-aircraft weapons and a missile launcher will be unveiled during the war games, he said.

On May 10, Iran unveiled a new domestically manufactured stealth unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), named the Hamaseh.

The capability to fly at higher altitudes for a longer range distinguishes the Hamaseh from other Iranian-made drones.

Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi said that the UAV was capable of conducting surveillance, reconnaissance and combat missions simultaneously.