Navy Flies Drones in War Game

In the large-scale exercise, codenamed Velayat-97, the Navy’s unmanned aerial vehicles furnished with various bombs detonated the hypothetical enemy’s positions.

The Navy’s air defense division also intercepted and annihilated intruding flying objects with a range of homegrown gear, including Misaq shoulder-fired missile.

In another operation, the Navy’s hovercrafts launched ground-to-ground cruise missiles to hit targets at long distances.

The Navy’s experts have recently mounted missile launchers on the hovercrafts, which used to be employed only for carrying troops in the past.

The war game is being held in an area of around 2 million square kilometers in Iran’s southern waters, from the Strait of Hormuz to the southeastern coasts of Makran, the Sea of Oman and the northern parts of the Indian Ocean, down to the 10-degrees latitude.

The drill is held in four separate phases, including naval parades, simulation of a real naval war, maritime and land offense to practice recapturing the territories occupied by the enemy, and the display of the Navy’s power by launching various types of missiles and torpedoes.

The Navy flies patrol, reconnaissance and bomber drones for the first time during the war game.

Iran’s Armed Forces hold routine military exercises throughout the year.

Iranian officials have repeatedly underscored that the country will not hesitate to strengthen its military capabilities, including its missile power, which are entirely meant for defense, and that Iran’s defense capabilities will be never subject to negotiations.