An Iranian Army general says the domestically-built missile defense system “Bavar-373” is much better than the US Patriot system and its Russian counterpart S-300.

“The system has been designed and developed considering the country’s need for a defense system with a high range,” Brigadier General Shahrokh Shahram, a deputy minister of defense and armed forces logistics, told Iran’s state TV Thursday night.

Bavar-373 missile system was developed as Iran “needed a missile system stronger than the Russian S-300, given the increasing threats” against the Islamic Republic, he added.

According to General Shahram, the Iranian system has a higher interception range and a greater combat power compared with the Russian counterpart, and enjoys over 10,000 compound eyes, each of which serves as a radar.

He also compared the Iranian system with the US-made Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) and Patriot systems, and said Bavar-373 is categorized at a higher class than THAAD and is much better than the Patriot system.

The surface-to-air missile system, dubbed Bavar-373, was unveiled during a ceremony on Thursday morning in the presence of President Hassan Rouhani, Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami and other senior military officials.

Bavar-373 is a mobile missile defense system designed to intercept and destroy incoming hostile targets. The system employs missiles that have a maximum range of 300 kilometers.

The system is capable of simultaneously detecting up to 300 targets, tracking 60 targets at once and engaging six targets at a time.

Bavar 373 has two search and intercept radars, which can resist electronic warfare and electromagnetic bombs. In addition, the radars are capable of detecting anti-radiation missiles (ARM) that are used to confront air defenses.

General Shahram’s comparison between Bavar-373 and Patriot system came after a recent United Arab Emirates intelligence report said the US-supplied Patriot system has failed to repel Yemeni retaliatory drone strikes against Saudi Arabia.

“Air defenses such as the Patriot are not capable of spotting these drones because the systems are designed to intercept long and medium range Scud missiles,” the report wrote.