Iran Press/ Iran news: The increasing number of air threats at various levels and the need to protect critical facilities and centers have led to the design and construction of different air defense systems to respond to air threats.
The development of drones, especially suicide drones and low-altitude cruise missiles, has made low-altitude air threats essential and a significant challenge for radar and defense systems.
Naturally, low-altitude defense systems are needed to deal with them.
The defense industry of the Islamic Republic of Iran has also taken significant steps in this regard. One of the recent achievements in low altitude air defense is the "Majid Air Defense System."
Introducing Majid Defense System
For the first time in early October 2020, the then Deputy Minister of Defense and Armed Forces Support announced that the "Majid" defense system was being completed, but no details were given.
Shortly afterward, during an air defense exercise in late October of that year, a video was released in which air defense officers explained to the commander of Khatam Al-Anbia Central Command that the Kashef-99 radar was connected to Majid and Nawwab systems.
The connection of these systems reinforced the assumption that Majid and Nawwab are in the short-range category. Majid's air defense system was exposed to the public for the first time during the Army Day parade on April 18, 2021.
In this parade, the Majid system was present next to the radar of "Kashef-99". This system was equipped with relatively small missiles and an electro-optical system to detect and identify the target, and the whole set was mounted on an Aras-2 tactical vehicle which determined the generality of the Majid system and proved its short range.
In the joint air defense exercise of the Defenders of Velayat's Sky-1400, which was held with the participation of the Air Defense Units of the Army of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps under the command of Khatam al-Anbia Air Defense Base in October 2021, several new air defense systems were observed including Majid's air defense system. During the exercise, Majid's air defense system successfully destroyed a flying target.
Overview
Majid Air Defense System has been designed and built-in response to the growing need of the Armed Forces to deal with low-altitude threats, including small aircraft and cruise missiles, which can be installed on various platforms.
Majid's short-range, low-altitude air defense system consists of a unit on Aras vehicle consisting of missiles and electro-optical fire control system and "Kashef-99" radar. "Kashef-99" is a new short-range radar that was unveiled in September 2021.
This radar has been specially developed to track low-altitude, short-range flying targets in the Army Air Defense Self-Sufficiency Jihad Organization. According to some technical studies and speculations, including the images of the parade, April 18, 2021, the new radar system "Kashef-99" can link and feed the information of the Majid defense system.
The radar is capable of detecting 300 targets, including small flying targets, up to a range of 12 km, and cruise missiles with a speed of up to Mach 2 at a range of 30 km with a radar cross-section of 0.1 m2.
At the unveiling ceremony of the short-range weapons management and command system under the name of the "Borhan System," more information was released regarding the Majid system.
Borhan is a system that manages everything from artillery to short-range missile systems in each area under its auspices and is responsible for the precise assignment of targets to the appropriate systems.
In addition to receiving information from radars, this system also obtains target information from electro-optical equipment, and by combining them with the approval of electronic detection systems, it is responsible for integrating the last layer of air defense around a critical area.
In the images related to the management of the systems, the information of the Majid defense system, including the range of eight thousand meters and the altitude of the target up to 6,000 meters, and the preparation time for firing were three seconds. This information showed that Majid would operate in the short-range category, ahead of artillery and portable systems.
Due to the fact that the Majid defense system is located on a tactical vehicle with the ability to move off-road, this system has very high mobility and can be moved in the shortest time, and it can also be carried by transport aircraft.
System mobility is essential, especially in today's wars where offensive and suicide drones pose a significant threat to defense systems, especially for a system that is responsible for destroying drones and offensive weapons such as cruise missiles.
Majid guidance system
Majid missile system is designed for low altitude air defense, which must have special capabilities such as high speed in tracking the target and providing preparation for firing in the shortest time, high speed in reaching the target, accuracy, and high probability of hitting the target.
Although these specifications are desirable for all air defense missile systems, they are much more important in a system responsible for providing the last layer of defense of a strategic area.
Very high reaction speed is doubly important, especially against targets that appear late, such as cruise missiles. These desirable features depend to a large extent on the capabilities of the guidance systems or, to put it better, the guidance method.
Due to thermal, optical cameras, the Majid system can operate safely in any weather conditions, especially in electronic warfare conditions. Two cameras of this type are installed on the Majid system, which is probably intended to create open and closed viewing angles simultaneously.
The firing of the Majid system at night in the 2021 air defense exercise shows the degree of confidence in the performance of its thermal detection and tracking system. Majid cameras are similar to some of the electro-optical equipment seen on the Seraj-1 system. This system has been developed as an auxiliary tool in detecting, identifying, and tracking short-range targets and has been specially coordinated with artillery weapons.
Majid system missile
The missile used in Majid's defense system is called AD-08. The range of this missile is about eight kilometers, and it is in the category of short-range anti-aircraft missiles. In the early stages of flight, the missile uses a low-smoke accelerator, which reduces the possibility of visually identifying the system's location in conflict scenarios close to the battlefield.
During the air defense exercise of the Defenders of Velaayat's Sky-1400, it was revealed that this missile is equipped with a thermal imager detector. Due to this method of guiding the missile, the Majid system can "Fire and Forget."
This capability allows the Majid system to fire at various targets consecutively and in the shortest possible time, and the system is not responsible for guiding the missile.
This missile has a slender body with a slim ratio of length to diameter ratio of about 2.7 to 2.9 meters and a diameter of about 15 to 17 centimeters. The rocket's high slenderness ratio indicates spending a significant portion of its flight time at supersonic speeds.
This reduces the time it takes for the missile to reach its maximum range. The solid fuel used in this missile is smokeless, which reduces the likelihood that the launch site will be identified, the enemy will not see the missile, and as a result, it will surprise and reduce its time to react.
In the 2021 Air Defense Exercise, Majid's defense system, using an AD-08 missile, successfully hit a target drone with a wingspan of about 2 to 2.5 meters with a direct impact.
The AD-08 missile is fired from inside a tubular launcher, which, depending on the number of electrical connections (connectors) visible on the launcher, will eventually reach eight rounds on the system.
The missile has a very high initial acceleration, which is necessary and vital for a short-range system. The missile has four small stabilizing wings at the end and four control wings near its nose. These small wings are of the folding type, with the smallest volume and consequently the lowest possible weight created for the launcher, and more can be used on one vehicle.
The AD-08 missile, like the Shahab Saqib missile and many other short-range missiles, has control small wings in the front of the missile and close to the nose, so the missile will respond faster to commands, which is for an air defense missile, which operates in the last layer close to its vital points, is very important.
The category of Majid system
About the category of Majid defense system among other defense systems, it should be said that by building it, a layer of range and higher altitude than portable missiles with the possibility of carrying more missiles and with the least need for crew and remote control capability to play the role of defending the scene of operations and military columns and sensitive areas has also been provided to army forces.
Majid system can be a suitable alternative to the British short-range defense system "Rapier" and compensate for the shortcomings of short-range portable launcher missiles in defense of short-range because mobile launchers are designed for infantry units and using in the role of defense of the last layer of fixed places and facilities should not necessarily be entrusted to them.
In addition, the Majid system missile, like the missile used in the Russian Pantsir system, can be equipped with a rocket propellant as the primary accelerator or propellant with a slightly larger length and diameter to achieve greater range.
In this case, this system can completely and reliably replace the variety of several short-range systems, including Yazhara, the ninth Haraz, and the FM-80. Majid system and its small, agile, and smart missile in the role of short-range and low altitude are suitable for defense of sensitive points and military and industrial places and can be used in the defense of naval vessels, especially against UAVs and cruise missiles.
In addition, the defense of the components of the country's air defense network, especially fixed early warning radars and long-range and strategic defense systems, will be the responsibility of the Majid Defense System in the last circle. Due to the small dimensions of the Majid system, in addition to land use, it can also be used in other uses. For example, it can be deployed on various light and heavy vessels in the armed forces.
205
Read More:
Iran press footage of Zulfiqar-1400 joint drills, 2nd day
'Fath,' Iran's small ballistic missile with high firepower, accuracy
