IRGC Practices Crippling US’ THAAD System
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The IRGC forces have successfully exercised an operation to incapacitate the US’ THAAD missile defense system in the course of a massive war game in southern Iran, a top commander said.
Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Force Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh said on Wednesday that his forces have practiced tactics to defeat the enemy’s missile shield and destroy its air defense missile systems in the Payambar-e Azam 14 (The Great Prophet) war game, underway in Iran’s southern province of Hormozgan, western parts of the Strait of Hormuz, and the Persian Gulf.
The IRGC forces established a missile system mirroring the capabilities of Theater High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD), and targeted the anti-ballistic defense system with radar-evading missiles, he said.
The commander also noted that the IRGC Aerospace Force’s combat drones have destroyed targets from a far distance with great accuracy, including the command bridge of the replica of a US aircraft carrier.
Sukhoi-22 fighter jets also destroyed targets with a small cross-sectional area using winged bombs, General Hajizadeh added.
“With the facilities in our possession, we can hit any hostile target at any location in the Persian Gulf region, the Sea of Oman, and the Indian Ocean,” he went on to say.
On Wednesday morning, the IRGC fired a series of ballistic missiles from launch pads hidden in camouflage deep under the ground.
The final stage of the war game includes joint operations by missile units, vessels and drones from the IRGC Navy and missile, drone and radar units from the IRGC Aerospace Force.
Satellite images taken by Iran’s homegrown ‘Noor’ (light) satellite that was launched into space in April have been used to evaluate the situation in the war game zone.