Top Iranian General: Air Force Drill Goals Accomplished
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Hailing the Iranian Air Force units for achieving the main objectives of a massive war game, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Hossein Baqeri said the country’s military preparedness bars enemies from taking any hostile action.
In remarks on the sidelines of the Air Force’s war game, codenamed Fadaeeyan-e Harim-e Velayat 11 (Devotees of Velayat Airspace 11), Major General Baqeri said on Monday that the purposes of the exercise have been accomplished.
The top commander praised the Air Force units for conducting a full range of operations and exercising various tactics in the drill with drones, fighter jets, transport, logistical and refueling aircraft, as well as air ambulances.
The general said the operations conducted over various areas from the Persian Gulf to the northwestern and northeastern regions during the last day and night attest to the success of the war game.
Lauding the Air Force for ensuring the security of Iran’s airspace, the commander said, “With such a level of (military) preparedness, no enemy would be able to penetrate or violate the airspace of the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
The main stage of the war game kicked off in the central province of Isfahan on Sunday night, as the Sukhoi Su-24 and F-4 Phantom fighter-bombers carried out nocturnal operations and detonated the hypothetical enemy’s ground targets with Qased upgraded standoff missiles.
The Iranian military drones also conducted major operations in the war game. Various combat, reconnaissance and electronic warfare UAVs, such as Kaman-12, Karrar, Mohajer-6, and Arash have destroyed targets using different modified bombs with pinpoint accuracy.
On Monday, the homegrown Karrar bomber drones dropped 500-pound bombs to hit targets on the ground.
Moreover, the Mohajer-6 drones dropped Qaem bombs on the second day of the drill. Qaem is an upgraded, smart and precision-strike bomb.
More than 90 military aircraft have taken part in the exercise, including various fighter jets, interceptor aircraft, bombers, and unmanned aerial vehicles.
“The main axis of the war game is (ensuring) sustainable security, promoting and strengthening regional relations, good neighborliness and defending the country’s air borders,” Air Force Commander Brigadier General Hamid Vahedi said on Sunday.
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.