Azernews.Az

By Sara Rajabova

Despite the sanctions imposed on Iran by the U.S. and the EU over its nuclear program, it continues to strengthen military power and test the domestically built new military machines.

On Sunday, the country launched the locally manufactured Jamaran 2 destroyer in the Caspian Sea near the northern port city of Bandar Anzali in the presence of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Press TV reported.

Ahmadinejad said the Jamaran-2 destroyer is launched to guarantee sustainable security in the Caspian region.

"Iran's naval presence in seas is aimed at strengthening friendship, establishing security for all and confronting extremism and those who intend to disturb the security of nations, as well as the Caspian Sea," he said. "Without a doubt, all neighboring countries are happy with the Iranian Navy's achievements because they consider these advancements as a step towards their own security in the region."

"Twenty years ago, nobody would have thought we could do this. Today we have succeeded," he said.

Jamaran-2, a Mowj-class warship, has been designed and built by Iranian experts and has state-of-the-art navigation equipment and complex defense systems.

The 1,420-ton destroyer is powered by a 20,000-horsepower engine with a speed of 30 knots and has the capability to carry helicopters, different surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missiles, as well as advanced artillery and torpedo systems.

According to Iranian media, the Jamaran 2 destroyer was produced with the use of next-generation technology and is an improved version of the Jamaran-1 destroyer.

Jamaran 2 will officially join the fleet of Iran's Navy within the next six months after the completion of final tests.

Speaking at the ceremony, Iran's Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi said that only a limited number of countries have the technology to build destroyers or have the ability to build its parts domestically. According to him, Jamaran 2 is aimed at protecting the Caspian Sea against terrorism and the smuggling of weapons and drugs.

Furthermore, Vahidi said that Iran plans to build and launch new submarines and drones in the Caspian Sea.

He announced Iran's protest against the presence of foreign troops in the Caspian, saying Iran was ready to form common military forces with the other littoral countries to protect the region's security.

Meanwhile, Deputy Head of the Industry and Research Institute of the Iranian Defense Ministry, Mohammad Eslami, said that Iran will launch another domestically made destroyer called Jamaran-3 next year in line with the efforts to boost the country's naval capabilities.

He said the Jamaran-3 destroyer will become operational by the end of the next Iranian calendar year, which starts on March 21, 2013.

In recent years, Iran has reportedly made great achievements in its defense sector and attained self-sufficiency in producing essential military equipment and systems.

Tehran has repeatedly assured other countries that its military might poses no threat to other states, insisting that Iran's defense doctrine is entirely based on deterrence.