Iran announces new 2,000-pound "smart" bomb
Iran has developed a new 900-kilogram (2,000-pound) "smart" bomb, state-run television reported Thursday, the latest in a recent series of announcements heralding new weapons systems. The guided bomb, named Qased or Messenger, can be deployed by Iran's aging US-made F-4 and F-5 fighter jets and will be officially unveiled next week, said the broadcast quoting a Defense Ministry statement. Iran often announces new weapons for its arsenal, but the United States maintains that while the Islamic Republic has made some strides, many of these statements are exaggerations. Iran launched its own arms development program during its 1980-88 war with Iraq in response to a US-led arms embargo and since 1992, the country has produced its own tanks, armored personnel carriers, and missiles.
