Iran yesterday launched production line of a new homemade supersonic ground-to-air missile system, local English-language Press TV reported.

The smart missile system called "Shahin (hawk)", which has a range of more than 40 kilometers, is capable of targeting fighter jets and helicopters, Iran's Defense Minister Brigadier General Mostafa Mohammad-Najjar who inaugurated the production line was quoted as saying.

The research and production phases of the defense system, including missile, missile interceptors, hardware and software networks and launch pad have been carried out by Iranian experts, Mohammad-Najjar said, adding that it will promote Iran's defense capabilities against possible air attacks.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced last month that Iran has successfully launched an advanced surface-to-surface missile named "Sejil 2" with a range of about 2,000 km.

Mohammad-Najjar announced last year that the Islamic Republic has successfully test-fired a new generation of surface-to-surface missile named Sejil which has a range of about 2,000 km.

Iran had already test-fired its another Shehab-3 missile capable of hitting targets within a range of 2,000 km, vowing that its missile capabilities are "a defensive tool against invasions."