Iran says its newly-built air-defense system would fully protect its nuclear installations as it can engage targets as high as 55,000 feet. Defense Minister Brigadier General Mostafa Mohammad Najjar said on Saturday that Iran's "new 100mm anti-aircraft gun is capable of reaching target enemy aircraft at an altitude of 55,000 feet (about 18 kilometers)." The manufacturing of Iran's anti aircraft artillery -- also known as Triple-A -- comes as military analysts had earlier made speculations about the potential of Iran's existing anti-aircraft systems, saying that the country's air-defense capabilities would allow Israeli sorties over Iranian nuclear facilities.
Iran's defense development came in line with a June report by the New York Times which said Iran was "taking steps to better defend its nuclear facilities" after it was revealed that Israel carried out a major military exercise as a rehearsal for a potential bombing attack on Iran.
"Two sets of advance Russian-made radar systems were recently delivered to Iran. The radar will enhance Iran's ability to detect planes flying at low altitude," added the report.
Military experts believe the dropping of bunker-busting bombs on targets like Iran's nuclear complex should be carried out from a low altitude, as it requires great precision.
US and Israeli military experts have also expressed concern about the possibility of the sale of sophisticated S-300 air-defense systems by Russia to Iran.
Hawley, a former fighter pilot with more than 3,000 flight hours and 438 combat missions over Vietnam, said the prospects for conventional aircraft would be grim when faced with the SA-20.
According to the Russian producer company of the weapon -- Almaz Scientific Industrial Corporation -- the S-300PMU-1 system is capable of engaging targets from altitudes as low as 30 feet to as high as 90,000 feet, against incoming targets traveling at a velocity of 9,000 feet per second. Its horizontal range allows the S-300PMU-1 to attack targets as close as 3 miles to as far out as 95 miles.
The missile system is also capable of destroying incoming intermediate-range ballistic missiles up to 25 miles.