Iranian Army and the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) concluded Wednesday large-scale aerial drills aimed at enhancing preparedness for defending the country’s skies against threats.
The operational phase of the joint large-scale drill, codenamed Modafe’an-e Aseman-e Velayat 1400 (Defenders of Velayat Skies 1400), began Tuesday morning in the central desert areas of Iran.
The units of the Iranian Army’s Air Defense Force, the IRGC Aerospace Division and the Army’s Air Force took part in the exercises, Fars News Agency (FNA) reported.
The drill aimed to boost the combat preparedness, strengthening deterrent power, evaluating the homegrown air defense systems in countering various threats, full defense against electronic warfare and cyberattacks, improving knowledge and skill of the units and boosting coordination among the Army and the IRGC’s command and control centers.
The participating units employed combined, indigenous and creative tactics and techniques which would be implemented in proportion to threats. The use of modern technology was among leading features of this maneuver, FNA added.
Meantime, the domestically-built Qods Radar (photo) was put into operation for the first time in these drills. Qods Radar is able to monitor targets at a 500km range and altitude of over 90,000 feet. Tactical and single-vehicle capability, domestic software, the ability to deal with electronic warfare in various techniques, friend-enemy detection system and the ability to link with defense systems are among the characteristics of Qods radar system.
Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Force Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh underlined that all air defense systems deployed in the drills are manufactured domestically.
“About 15 years ago, we did not have such capabilities, and we depended on foreign equipment in radar, command, and control as well as surface to air missile systems, while today thank God, we possess all these facilities indigenized and Iran-made,” he said.
He pointed out that the fully trained forces have been prepared to operate in groups, and said: “A group is tasked to play the role of enemy and another one as the aggressor during a simulated war and that the other group plays the role of defender.”
He further said that Qods Radar System has become operational in the drills. “Winged bombs, capable to be fired from warplanes, have been launched for the first time in the maneuvers,” he added.
Earlier, Iranian Border Guards launched a military drill in the Northern waters of the Persian Gulf on Sunday 10 October.
During the military drill, the commandos and special forces of the Border Guards displayed their defense and combat capabilities in the Northern waters of the Persian Gulf in a bid to ensure the security of the country’s borders.
Iranian Border Guards Commander Brigadier General Ahmad Ali Goudarzi underlined that the duty of Border Guards at sea borders is to control and coordinate border exchanges and establish maritime discipline in a way that ensures the security of the Persian Gulf region.
He reiterated that the security of the Persian Gulf is under the strict supervision and protection of the Armed Forces which is necessary for the country and also neighboring countries.
“The purpose of the military drill is to improve the operational capacity and rescue at sea, to fight against all kinds of smuggling at sea,” he said.
