Iran to develop new generation of smart bombs

[News_Editor]

Iran to develop new generation of smart bombs

2011-01-12 08:00:06 GMT+7 (ICT)

TEHRAN, IRAN (BNO NEWS) -- Iran on Tuesday informed that its Army is working to develop a new generation of smart bombs to improve its arsenal, the semi-official Fars news agency reported.

General Mohammad Reza Karashki, who is the Deputy Head of the Iranian Air Force Self-Sufficiency Jihad and Industrial Researches Department, said that he had been directed to develop the third generation of smart bombs.

The third generation of Qassed smart bombs will weigh 2,000 pounds (900 kilograms) and they will be equipped with engines to increase their range to more than 100 kilometers (62 miles), Fars reported.

Karashki remarked that the second generations of the Iranian smart bombs have a range of about 50 kilometers (31 miles). This second generation has already been built and will be mass-produced in the near future.

Qassed 1 and 2 were successfully test-fired last September in aerial drills over the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman. The Qassed 2 was the most impressive due to its high-precision and destruction power as well as the longer range demonstrated.

Iran's Qassed 1 smart bomb has already been mass-produced and delivered to the Iranian Air Force following the successful testing. Iran has been under international scrutiny mainly due to its controversial nuclear program.

The Islamic country claims that it has always pursued peaceful means and said its nuclear program is a civilian path to provide power to Iran's growing population, as fossil fuel would eventually run dry. However, the country is currently under a fourth round of sanctions, which were backed by the United States and UN Security Council.

In order to ease suspicions over its nuclear intentions, Iran met with the G5+1 group in Geneva amidst international skepticism to discuss its nuclear goals. Iranian officials said the talks were held under a positive and constructive atmosphere and agreed to hold additional meetings.

Currently, the country, led by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, is building a 300-megawatt light-water reactor in the southwestern town of Darkhoveyn as well as its first nuclear power plant in the southern port city of Bushehr.

Iran has invited a number of prominent figures from six countries to take a tour at the Arak heavy water facility and Natanz uranium enrichment center, both in Central Iran. However, the invitation was turned down by the EU as it insisted that the visit should be made by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) instead.

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