A TOP IRANIAN MILITARY OFFICIAL SAID TUESDAY THE COUNTRY CAN NOW DEFEND AGAINST ANY INVASION ORIGINATING FROM OUTSIDE THE REGION AS IT TESTED A SECOND NEW RADAR-AVOIDING MISSILE. THE NEW SURFACE-TO-SEA MISSILE IS EQUIPPED WITH REMOTE-CONTROL AND SEARCHING SYSTEMS, STATE-RUN TELEVISION REPORTED. IT SAID THE NEW MISSILE, CALLED KOWSAR AFTER THE NAME OF A RIVER IN PARADISE, WAS A MEDIUM-RANGE WEAPON THAT IRAN HAD THE CAPABILITY TO MASS-PRODUCE. IT ALSO ASSERTED THAT THE KOWSAR'S GUIDANCE SYSTEM COULD NOT BE SCRAMBLED, AND THAT IT HAD BEEN DESIGNED TO SINK SHIPS.
