IRAN CLAIMS TO PIONEER NEW ELECTRONIC WARFARE UNIT

BY SETH J. FRANTZMAN

Source Link

Iran says it has broken the “monopoly” of world powers on electronic warfare and advanced communications technologies. Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Hossein Salami said that a new unit called Sepehr 110 had been established that would help Iran cope with electronic warfare attacks.

The US says it carried out cyberattacks against Iran in late June after Iran shot down a US Global Hawk drone over the Gulf of Oman. The attacks were judged to be a better response than airstrikes, which would have killed Iranians. In response, Iran has rolled out this new unit, the latest in a series of Iranian claims to have created indigenous technology – from submarines to cruise missiles to nuclear enrichment – that showcases its innovations.

The announcement about the cyberwarfare advances in Tehran comes as the country announces it will exceed uranium enrichment spelled out in the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), or Iran Deal. In this regard, the new cyberdefense systems are important to Iran because cyberwarfare is one of the easiest ways for Western technological powerhouses to confront Iran without the need for a conflict. In the past, Iran has been a victim of hacking and the Stuxnet virus.

Iran’s tactical electronic warfare unit was created by engineers from the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting network, according to Iranian news media Fars News and Tasnim News. The new unit is supposed to support ground-based networks and also the navy. Salami boasted about the system, which clearly indicates the national pride that has been poured into it. “Developments in the field of communications have led the system to be very accurate and realistic,” he said. He also said that protecting communications was one of the most essential tools of the armed forces.

Reports in Iran say that the system runs at high speeds and is flexible and can operate in all of Iran’s terrain and climates. It appears the announcement is meant to showcase Iran’s preparations for any future attempts by countries to penetrate Tehran’s networks or wreak havoc on its communications systems. The message from Tehran today: “We are protected against electronic warfare.”