THE PENTAGON SAID MONDAY THAT IRAN MAY HAVE OVERSTATED CLAIMS TO HAVE DEVELOPED RADAR-ABSORBING MATERIALS CAPABLE OF HIDING ITS BALLISTIC MISSILES, BUT ACKNOWLEDGED THAT TEHRAN'S WEAPONS SYSTEMS ALSO COULD BE 'MAKING STRIDES.' THE DEFENSE DEPARTMENT'S REACTION FOLLOWED IRAN'S ANNOUNCEMENT ON FRIDAY THAT IT HAD TEST-FIRED A MISSILE THAT CAN 'HIDE FROM RADARS' AND WHOSE MULTIPLE WARHEADS CAN ACCURATELY HIT DIFFERENT TARGETS SIMULTANEOUSLY. 'IT IS POSSIBLE THEY ARE INCREASING THEIR CAPABILITY IN MAKING STRIDES IN RADAR ABSORBING MATERIAL AND TARGETING,' PENTAGON SPOKESMAN BRYAN WHITMAN SAID. 'HOWEVER, THE IRANIANS HAVE BEEN KNOWN TO BOAST AND EXAGGERATE THEIR STATEMENTS ABOUT GREATER TECHNICAL AND TACTICAL CAPABILITIES.' WHITMAN SAID IRAN REGARDS BALLISTIC MISSILES AS ITS PRIMARY DETERRENT AGAINST ATTACK AND HAS THE LARGEST INVENTORY OF THEM IN THE MIDDLE EAST. HE SAID FRIDAY'S TEST WAS NOT SURPRISING. 'OVER THE PAST YEAR, IRAN HAS CONTINUED TESTING OF ITS MEDIUM-RANGE BALLISTIC MISSILE,' HE SAID. 'IT ALSO HAS TESTED ANTI-SHIP MISSILES,' WHITMAN TOLD REPORTERS. 'WE KNOW THE IRANIANS ARE ALWAYS TRYING TO IMPROVE THEIR WEAPONS SYSTEMS BY BOTH FOREIGN AND INDIGENOUS MEASURES.'
