The Falaq (
Persian
Persian may refer to:
* People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language
** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples
** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...
:فلق) is an
Iranian
Iranian () may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to Iran
** Iranian diaspora, Iranians living outside Iran
** Iranian architecture, architecture of Iran and parts of the rest of West Asia
** Iranian cuisine, cooking traditions and practic ...
air surveillance radar system.
It is a domestically upgraded and refurbished version of the
Russian-made 67N6E Gamma-DE air surveillance radar.
It is a
3D phased-array radar system.
The system is capable of identifying all types of
cruise missiles
A cruise missile is an unmanned self-propelled guided missile that sustains flight through aerodynamic lift for most of its flight path. Cruise missiles are designed to deliver a large payload over long distances with high precision. Modern cru ...
,
stealth planes,
unmanned aerial vehicles
An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) or unmanned aircraft system (UAS), commonly known as a drone, is an aircraft with no human pilot, crew, or passengers onboard, but rather is controlled remotely or is autonomous.De Gruyter Handbook of Dron ...
and
ballistic missiles
A ballistic missile is a type of missile that uses projectile motion to deliver warheads on a target. These weapons are powered only during relatively brief periods—most of the flight is unpowered. Short-range ballistic missiles (SRBM) typica ...
within a range of 400 kilometers.
The system was unveiled in
Tehran
Tehran (; , ''Tehrân'') is the capital and largest city of Iran. It is the capital of Tehran province, and the administrative center for Tehran County and its Central District (Tehran County), Central District. With a population of around 9. ...
on 10 August 2019, in an announcement made by the commander of
Iran's Air Defense Force Brigadier General Alireza Sabahifard.
Brigadier General Alireza Sabahifard stated in the announcement that the system was developed in order to counter
US economic sanctions restricting Iranian access to spare parts of a previously foreign-developed system. This prompted Iranian engineers to "reconstruct" the system in a process that took 2,300 man-hours. The unveiling of the radar system came at a time of escalating tensions between
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...
and
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
and Europe's failing attempts at upholding its commitments to the
2015 Iran nuclear deal.
Name
{{See also, Al-FalaqThe Falaq radar system is named after the 113th chapter (
sūrah
A ''surah'' (; ; ) is an Arabic word meaning 'chapter' in the Quran. There are 114 ''suwar'' in the Quran, each divided into ayah, verses (). The ''suwar'' are of unequal length; the shortest ''surah'' (al-Kawthar) has only three verses, while ...
) of the
Qur'an
The Quran, also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation directly from God ('' Allāh''). It is organized in 114 chapters (, ) which consist of individual verses ('). Besides ...
. It is a brief five verse invocation, asking
God
In monotheistic belief systems, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. In polytheistic belief systems, a god is "a spirit or being believed to have created, or for controlling some part of the un ...
(
Allah
Allah ( ; , ) is an Arabic term for God, specifically the God in Abrahamic religions, God of Abraham. Outside of the Middle East, it is principally associated with God in Islam, Islam (in which it is also considered the proper name), althoug ...
) for protection and refuge from the evil of
Satan
Satan, also known as the Devil, is a devilish entity in Abrahamic religions who seduces humans into sin (or falsehood). In Judaism, Satan is seen as an agent subservient to God, typically regarded as a metaphor for the '' yetzer hara'', or ' ...
.
This surah and the 114th (and last) surah in the Qur'an,
an-Nās
Al-Nas or Mankind () is the 114th and last chapter (''sūrah'') of the Qur'an. It is a short six-ayah, verse invocation.
The chapter takes its name from the word "people" or "mankind" (''al-nas''), which recurs throughout the chapter. This and ...
, are collectively referred to as ''
al-Mu'awwidhatayn
Al-Mu'awwidhatayn (Arabic: المعوذتين), an Arabic expression meaning "The Two Protectors" or "The Two Protective Incantations", refers to the final two surahs (chapters) of the Quran: 113 (Al-Falaq) and 114 (Al-Nas). They are called by t ...
'' (Arabic for "the Refuges"), as both begin with "I seek refuge".
An-Nās
Al-Nas or Mankind () is the 114th and last chapter (''sūrah'') of the Qur'an. It is a short six-ayah, verse invocation.
The chapter takes its name from the word "people" or "mankind" (''al-nas''), which recurs throughout the chapter. This and ...
tells to seek God's refuge from the evil within, while al-Falaq tells to seek God's refuge from the evil from outside. Essentially, reading both of them is said to protect a person from his own mischief and the mischief of others.
References
Military radars of Iran
Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force
Military equipment introduced in the 2010s