Iran Holds 2-Day Air Drills Displaying New Technologies

The Iranian military has held large-scale air drills, showing off its power and displaying new military technologies just one day after the United States imposed new sanctions on Iran.

The military exercises, called Modafean-e-Aseman-e-Velayat 97 (“the Defenders of the Skies 97), involved the Iranian Air Force at the Khatam al-Anbiya Air Defense Base and the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC)’s Aerospace Force. The exercises were held from November 5-6 and in an area measuring 500,000 square kilometers.

Joint forces took positions, rapidly spread around the country; detected, identified, intercepted and destroyed pretend threats, and engaged in electronic warfare against mock targets. Forces conducted the mock strikes using medium-range surface-to-air Shalamcheh missiles and the Tabas medium-range surface-to-air missile defense system.

“The manufacturing and deployment of this equipment with advanced technologies shows that we are not faced with any bottlenecks,” said exercises spokesperson General Mahmoud Moussavi. “We can meet all our needs relying on domestic capabilities,” he said, according to Tasnim news agency.

Drills involved tactics to employ command and control systems to detect, track and intercept hostile targets; conduct air defense operations in electronic warfare using passive aerial detection systems as well as air-based air defense gear including manned and unmanned aircraft; and countering anti-radiation and cruise missiles.

The Third of Khordad missile system, developed by the IRGC Aerospace Force, was successfully tested on the first day of drills. The system is equipped with advanced Taer missiles that have a range of 50 kilometers, is capable of simultaneously intercepting four targets, and firing eight missiles at them. Mersad, a new medium-altitude surface-to-air missile system with electronic warfare capabilities, was tested by firing new missiles to shoot down a hypothetical enemy’s intruding aircraft.

The IRGC Aerospace Force tested out its new radar system called Basheer, used for detecting fighter jets. Muttali-ol-Fajr, a military monitoring radar system, the electro-optical detection system called Ra’ad, and the Kavosh cruise missile hunting radar system were also tested. 

U.S. sanctions related to the energy sector, including oil exports and transactions by foreign financial institutions with the Central Bank of Iran, went into effect on November 4.