Iran unveils homegrown air traffic radar

TABNAK, May. 25 - Iran has unveiled an advanced homegrown air traffic radar amid foreign sanctions targeting the country’s civil aviation sector.

News ID: 6452

Date: 25 May 2025 - 12:06

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian used a video link on Saturday to order the deployment of the MSSR-Mode S radar system at Abadan airport in the southwest of the country.

Authorities from the Iranian transportation ministry said the advanced radar system would strengthen the air traffic control network in the region.

The CEO of Iran Airports and Air Navigation Company said that the monopulse secondary surveillance radar system has been entirely designed and built by domestic companies, Press TV reported.

Mohammad Amirani said that scientists from Isfahan University of Technology, located in central Iran, had contributed to the project, adding that the system will be capable of monitoring domestic and international flights within a radius of 450 kilometers.

Amirani said that the government had spent some 6.9 million euros ($7.84 million) on the project, cutting back nearly 1 million euros from its import bill.

“Launching this radar is viewed as a major step on the path to reach self-sufficiency and progress in the country’s aviation industry,” he said.

The deployment of the radar is part of Iran’s increasing homegrown efforts to maintain and develop its aviation sector.

The efforts have intensified in recent years amid US sanctions that have restricted Iran’s access to foreign technology and investment.

Reports show domestic firms have repaired more than a dozen planes grounded because of the sanctions.

The same reports show that Iranian companies have been offering overhaul and inspection services to foreign airlines.

Iranian aviation authorities said in late 2024 that the country had mastered the technology needed to manufacture spare parts for the engines of Boeing and Airbus jets.