destroy modern aircraft at low and medium altitudes

Iran's first indigenously built anti-aircraft missile, dubbed Mersad, is ready for use, a media report said Sunday.

The medium-range missile is said to be more powerful than the US-made Hawk missile. Mersad features cutting-edge technology to "destroy modern aircraft at low and medium altitudes", Press TV reported citing defence minister Ahmad Vahidi.

The missile is equipped with sophisticated radar signal processing technology, an advanced launcher, as well as electronic equipment for guidance and target acquisition.

"The state-of-the-art technology used in Mersad provides it with the unique ability to combat electronic warfare," he explained. The features in the missile are superior to those in the Hawk missile that Iran purchased in the 1970s.

Vahidi said mass-production of Mersad has begun and a sizeable number of the medium-range missile would be delivered to the armed forces by the end of the year.

Vahidi said the production of Mersad marks a technical breakthrough in Iran's defence capabilities and proves that the country's armed forces have achieved high levels of self-sufficiency.