Iran’s Sevom Khordad Air Defense System: Tech Breakdown

 TEHRAN (June 2025) – Iran’s Sevom Khordad (Third Khordad) is a mobile, medium-to-long-range air-defense system that has proven its operational value—most notably shooting down a U.S. RQ-4 Global Hawk in 2019 . Here’s a clear, U.S.-style technical overview:

✈️ System Architecture & Mobility

• Platform: Road-mobile TELARs (Transporter Erector Launcher with Radar) mounted on 6×6 IVECO chassis.

• Battery Composition: Each battery includes 1 TELAR with radar and 2 missile-only TELs, totaling 9 ready-to-fire missiles. A full battalion has 4 batteries plus a Bashir S-band surveillance radar with 350 km range.

• Mobility Specs: Diesel-powered, capable of 65 km/h on road and ~500 km operational range. Launch-ready in under 3 minutes.

🛡️ Radar & Targeting

• Engagement Radar: X-band AESA radar on TELAR—a “Buk-style” modern phased-array system.

  • Detection: Up to 100 targets simultaneously

  • Engagement: Can engage 4 targets concurrently, guiding 2 missiles per target.

• Battalion Radar: Bashir 3-D S-band radar for early detection and networked C2 connectivity.

• Integration: Part of Iran’s multilayered air defense, connected via data link to other systems to resist jamming.

Sevom Khordad, also known as Khordad-3, is Iran’s road-mobile long-range air defense system capable of tracking and engaging targets at distances of up to 200 km. Photo: Reddit

🚀 Missile Suite & Performance

• Primary Missiles: Taer‑2B (range 50–105 km, altitude up to 30 km).

• Upgrades: Testing suggests integration of Taer‑3 extends engagement to ~200 km.

• Close Defense: Optional loadout of eight Dey‑9 short-range SAMs for drone and fighter interception.

• Kinematic Envelope: Effective against aerodynamic threats at 2–105 km and cruise missiles at 2–15 km altitude; target speeds up to 800 m/s.

🔬 Why It Matters

• Proven Combat Value: Successfully shot down a high-value RQ-4 drone in 2019—first operational intercept of its kind.

• Balanced Design: Mobile, radar-integrated, versatile missile mix gives the system adaptability across scales of threats.

• Networked Resiliency: With AESA + S-band radars and data-link, provides multi-tiered coordination and enhanced jam resistance. However, effectiveness still lags behind Western systems like S‑300, S‑400, and Patriot—especially in radar sensitivity and stealth detection.