File photo:Xinhua

Iran's Deputy Defense Minister Qassem Taqizadeh said Saturday the ministry has started manufacturing air defense laser cannons, Tasnim news agency reported.

Taqizadeh said Iran has obtained the technical know-how to manufacture laser air defense cannons for bringing down hostile quadcopters and small aircraft.

The military hardware has passed laboratory tests and is manufactured in the country, he was quoted as saying.

The military official also said that Iran has improved the range and precision of ground-launched cruise missiles with a new digital mapping system whose testing stages will be over in the near future.

Efforts are underway to manufacture ground-to-ground ballistic missiles with pinpoint accuracy, he said, adding that Iran is now among the world's "top five powers in the missile industry."