Iranian Army to stage massive air defense drills in late October
By Sara Rajabova
Despite the sanctions imposed on Iran by the Western states, the country continues to reinforce its military capacity.
Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya Air Defense Base prepares to stage a large-scale military exercise alongside other Armed Forces units in late October 2013.
"The air defense base, given the task it shoulders, takes part in all maneuvers staged by the Armed Forces in addition to the drills it holds independently," Khatam al-Anbiya Commander Brigadier General Farzad Esmaili said, Press TV reported.
Esmaili pointed to an air defense drill held last year, saying the exercises involved a large number of troops as well as indigenously-developed air defense systems and were staged in a warm region of the country.
However, he said the upcoming air defense drills will be held in a cold and mountainous region, so that the military units involved will be able to rehearse their skills in different climatic conditions.
Esmaili also added that all Armed Forces units, including the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) and Basij Forces, will partake in the exercises.
Esmaili said that nearly 8,000 military personnel will be directly involved in the drill, while another 17,000 will provide logistics for the maneuvers.
Iran's Army and the IRGC conducted a joint air defense drill, codenamed Modafe'an-e Aseman-e Velayat 4 (Defenders of the Velayat Skies 4), in November 2012.
Besides, the Base displayed a number of its hardware at the Armed Forces parade marking the beginning of the Sacred Defense Week in Tehran on September 22.
The hardware include Nebo mobile radar system, Kasta surveillance system, Matla' al-Fajr radar system, S-200 missile system, Hog missile system, Shahab radar system and Skyguard defense system.
The Sacred Defense Week commemorates Iranian soldiers who fought in the 1980-1988 Iraqi-Iranian war.
Iranian Armed Forces also displayed their latest military and defensive achievements during the parade.
In recent years, Iran has made great achievements in its defense sector and attained self-sufficiency in producing essential military equipment and systems.
The Iranian army recently test-fired different types of newly-developed missiles and torpedoes and tested a large number of its domestic weapons, tools and equipment, including submarines, military ships, artillery, choppers, aircraft, UAVs and air defense and electronic systems during massive military drills.
Iran has repeatedly stated that its military might poses no threat to other countries, reiterating that its defense doctrine is based on deterrence.