From today's World Media Watch at Buzzflash.com....
Iran: Military Flaunts New Capabilities As Tensions Rise (summary follows)
http://www.rferl.org/features/features_Article.aspx?m=10&y=2007&id=A9DAC1EB-47E3-46D2-B6CC-0A76F98C9B60As tensions with the United States rise over Iran's nuclear ambitions and regional security issues, Tehran has been flaunting its military capabilities and asserting its preparedness in the face of a possible attack. In recent weeks, Iran has opened a new air base, unveiled new domestically produced military hardware, and issued defense pronouncements at a rapid-fire pace. ... At a military parade on September 22 to mark the 27th anniversary of Saddam Hussein's invasion of Iran, the Iranian military presented what it claimed was a new, medium-range ballistic missile.
The Qadr-1 appeared to be an advanced variant of the Shahab-3. A former director of Israel's Ballistic Missile Defense Organization, Uzi Rubin, noted that the Qadr missile "which appeared in the 2004 parade was then said to have a range of 2,000 kilometers". If those and other reports are correct, the Qadr-1 is capable of striking Israel, southern Europe and US bases in the Middle East. Just days earlier, Iran unveiled three prototypes of what it claims is a domestically manufactured fighter jet. The aircraft, called the Saeqeh (Thunderbolt), is the latest generation of the previously tested Azarkhash (Thunder) fighter jet. A joint product of the Iranian Air Force and its Defense and Armed Forces Logistics Ministry, the Saeqeh has been described as similar to the US F-18 fighter jet. Iranian authorities say they have begun industrial-scale production of the Saeqeh. ... On October 9, Iran inaugurated a production line for the manufacture of a one-ton smart bomb called the Qadr. Fars News Agency reported that this bomb - a variant of the Qased (Messenger) smart bomb - is an optically guided, air-to-surface, long-range bomb that meets the Iranian Air Force's need for a powerful weapon. ... Also this month, Iran opened a new air base near its eastern border with Afghanistan. The base - named Qa'em Al-e Muhammad in a reference to Shi'ite Islam's 12th, or hidden, imam - lies in Birjand, the capital of the sparsely populated province of South Khorasan, and is about 1,300 kilometers from Tehran. ... In addition to these efforts to boost its military capabilities, Iran has taken steps to improve its passive defenses - such as radar and other detection - that might minimize damage in the event of hostilities with the United States or Israel.