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Following are excerpts from an Al-Alam TV report on the new Iranian drone, which aired on August 22, 2010:
Reporter: The Iranian Defense Ministry is celebrating Defense Industry Day. This is a stage that defines the past, present, and future of Iran's defense, and all are standing before it like a solid structure. The common agenda is the defense of the country, which has been beset by threats ever since the victory of its revolution. Today, Tehran says that it has reached a stage where it can provide an umbrella for all countries of the region.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad: Our defense industry must reach the stage where it can chop off the hand of the aggressors before it reaches us.
Reporter: The figures presented by the Defense Industry my turn the man's words into reality. The figures presented by the Iranian defense establishment point to the manufacture of over a thousand pieces of military equipment. The latest device unveiled by Iran is an unmanned bomber jet. This drone, called "Karrar," is considered a strategic product. The Defense Ministry said that it has increased its capabilities in all fields.
Iranian Defense Minister General Ahmad Vahidi: The Karrar plane has numerous capabilities. It can carry bombs and strike targets with great precision. It can cover large distances at high speed, and it can perform various tasks.
Reporter: Today is Iran's national Nuclear Technology Day. Some people ask: What is Iran trying to say by dedicating a special day in its calendar to mark its achievements? Tehran has many answers to this, the first being that it has prepared a large military arsenal, hinting at the verse: "Prepare against them what force you can." As for the other answers, it has real expertise, and it strives to be self-sufficient in this field, like a very small number of countries in the world.
The manufacture of missiles is an [important] field, and Iran did not let this day pass without successfully testing the Qiam surface-to-surface missile. Officials have not divulged its range, but it is said to be exceptional. It has an advanced system enabling it to change course in mid-flight, which minimizes the chances of interception by anti-ballistic missiles. This is the most recent addition to the arsenal of missiles of various ranges, the most important of which are the Shihab 3 and the Sijjil. How does Iran view this defensive display?
General Ahmad Vahidi: Our defensive capabilities belong to all the countries of the region. What we manufacture is for the purpose of defending these countries against the threats that come from beyond the region.
Reporter: Defense Industry Day may be Iran's way of displaying its latest achievements in modernizing its arsenal, which constitutes the foundation of security in a region where security is the variable in the equation.
This is Nour Al-Din Trer, Al-Alam TV, Tehran.