According to Iranian military and press releases, the Shaher anti-materiel is now available for deployment. Weighing in at a paltry 50 pounds or so, the 6' "long-ranged sniper weapon" was unveiled in Tehran recently at a ceremony attended by Brig. Gen. Ahmad-Reza Pourdastan, the Commander of the Iranian Army's Ground Forces.
Described as having an "...effective range of three kilometers...and a useful range of four kilometers...", the 14.5mm weapon is supposed to have a three man crew for most effective use. Presumably this will be used for work against vehicles and hardened targets like bunkers in the field, though it would be naturally effective against personnel. The rifle is built by the IRGC "Self-Sufficiency Jihad of the Army" under Gen. Seyed Massoud Zawarehei.
As with any weapon like this (including ours), the real question is whether the shooter can exploit the mechanical advantages of the weapon to its best advantage.
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Gen. Pourdastan told the Tehran Times that, "...the Iranian Army is the most powerful army in the region and is completely prepared to defend the territorial integrity of the Islamic Republic."
More here: http://www.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=13910708000256
