Iran Introduces Two New Helicopter Models
Iran’s Defense minister, General Ahmed Vahidi, presented two new models of helicopters designed for logistic missions and transportation of troops, an official source said on Wednesday.
The announcement was made at the inauguration of the 6th International Air Industry Exhibition on the island of Kich, according to the official news agency Fars, which illustrated the story with a photo of one of the helicopters.
The Panha 1 and Panha 2 helicopters can carry 14 and 18 troops, respectively, and are the result of achievements in Iran’s aeronautic industry, said Deputy Defense Minister Manouchehr Manteqi.
The top Iranian official noted that there are plans to make other aircrafts to carry 100 and 150 passengers.
Delegations from China, Russia, Ukraine, Indonesia, Malaysia and Sudan participate in the exhibition, according to reports.
The presentation of the helicopters follows an announcement by high-ranking military officers who said that Iran has achieved autarchy in means and equipment for the armed forces, despite the sanctions imposed by the United States and the European Union to force the country to abandon its nuclear development with peaceful ends.
Ban Ki-moon Reiterates Protest Against Israeli settlements
The construction of Israeli settlements in the so-called E-1 area will be a fatal blow to the reduced chances of a two-state solution in the Middle East, the head of the UN, Ban Ki-moon stated on Monday.
The secretary general of the world body expressed grave concern about the authorization granted by the government of Israel to build three thousand new settler units in East Jerusalem and other parts of the West Bank.
Those settlements are illegal under international law, insisted the UN official in a message to an international meeting of solidarity with the Palestinian and Arab prisoners in Israeli jails, in session in Baghdad.
Housing units authorized by Tel Aviv will be built in Gilo, Pisgat Zeev, Ariel and Gush Etzion, in the so-called E-1 area, and will isolate East Jerusalem from the cities of Ramallah and Bethlehem.
The UN leader recalled the decision of the General Assembly to grant Palestine the status of Observer State at the organization, but reiterated the need to resume the negotiations between the two parties.
On the other hand, he warned about the situation of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, where there are still 4,600 prisoners, including 200 minors.
He also reported cases of solitary confinement in Israeli prisons, including Palestinian children, and demanded an end to their isolation.
India Confirms Effectiveness of Nuclear Missile
India confirmed on Wednesday the effectiveness of its Agni I, medium range ground missile, already integrated into the military arsenal and capable of carrying nuclear warheads of up to a thousand Kilograms.
The mission took place on the island of Wheeler (in the eastern state of Orissa) as part of a training exercise and was a success, the director of the polygon test, M. V. K. V. Prasad, told the IANS news agency .
With a weight of 12 tons and a length of 15 meters, this first version of the Agni (fire in Sanskrit) has a specialized navigation system which can reach targets up to 700 kilometers away with a high degree of accuracy.
The test was carried out by the Strategic Forces Command and supervised by scientists from the Organization for Research and Defense Development (DRDO), emphasized Prasad.
Last April the South Asian giant successfully launched its first intercontinental ballistic missile, the Agni-V, capable of carrying a nuclear warhead and hitting targets more than 5,000 kilometers away, that is, at any point in Asia and much of Eastern Europe.
According to military experts, India’s possession of that missile implies a significant expansion its strategic options, placing it at the gates of the exclusive club of nations with intercontinental ballistic means, currently comprised of the United States, Russia, China, France, the United Kingdom and, presumably, Israel.
Via PL