Army, IRGC air defense units launch large-scale aerial drills in central Iran

Iran’s Armed Forces have launched a large-scale military exercise, involving air defense units and domestically-developed military hardware, with the goal of strengthening the protection of the country’s aerial borders and sensitive sites.

The joint aerial maneuvers, attended by air defense divisions of the Army and the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) and codenamed Modafean Aseman Velayat 1400 (Guardians of Velayat Sky 1400), kicked off in the country’s central desert areas on Tuesday morning.

During the exercises, domestically-developed, air defense missile systems, radars, reconnaissance equipment, electronic warfare devices, communication systems and a visual surveillance network were put to test.

Commenting on the first phase of the drills, Brigadier General Qader Rahimzadeh, commander of the country’s Khatam al-Anbia Air Defense Base, said the deployment of air defense systems was carried out, with a special focus on mobility and rapid reaction of operational forces and in accordance with principles of passive defense to deceive the mock enemy.

Moreover, secure and multi-layered communication links were established among defense systems, command and control centers, and the country’s integrated air defense network in order to adopt proper decisions in case of a threat.

Rahimzadeh added that manned and unmanned aircraft of the Army and IRGC conducted reconnaissance sorties over the area, before detection and combat systems carried out tactical and defensive operations against hostile aircraft. All stages of air defense, up to the phase of electronic impact (EI), were performed.

The senior Iranian military official said deployment of IRGC Regional Command and Control Systems (ROC), and operation of indigenous Me’raj, Fath-2, Bashir and Quds radar systems, tactical detection and reconnaissance systems, electro-optical systems in addition to electronic warfare systems were among other measures taken at the first stage of the war game.

He said control and command centers are using active and passive radar systems capable of signal and electro-optical monitoring of the exercise area during Guardians of Velayat Sky 1400 drill, and missile air defense systems will use artificial intelligence and decision-making techniques as they discover a hostile target to launch an attack.

Rahimzadeh added that the entire detection, reconnaissance, interception and missile systems that the Army and IRGC air defense units are employing in the drill are homegrown and manufactured by Iranian defense specialists.

Army Ground Force starts military exercise in northwest Iran

The Iranian Army’s Ground Force launches a military exercise in the country’s northwestern region.

“Formation of secure layers of air defense in order to protect the Islamic Republic of Iran’s airspace, besides comprehensive defense of sensitive centers of the country are among the objectives of the exercise. Air defense units and operational forces of the Army and the IRGC are skillfully and intelligently undertaking their tasks round the clock under the operational auspices and control of the country’s joint air defense base,” Rahimzadeh said.

Iran’s Armed Forces regularly hold military maneuvers to elevate their preparedness and military prowess.

The drills serve as a warning message to the enemies against any act of aggression against the Islamic Republic.

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