Iran to stage four-day air defense exercise soon

The Iranian Armed Forces and the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps will launch a joint air defense exercise soon, the commander of the Khatam-ol-Anbiya Air Defense Base announced during a press conference on Thursday. 

Brigadier General Farzad Esmaeili said that the four-day military drill, entitled the Defenders of the Sky of Velayat 4, which covers an area of 850,000 square kilometers, will be conducted in the northeast, east, southeast, and south of Iran.

He also said that 8000 Iranian military forces will participate in the war games, adding that the exercise will convey the message that Iran will give a firm response to any invading countries.

The maneuvers will be carried out to enhance combat capabilities of the forces and provide them with the opportunity to practice modern military tactics to counter new military threats against the country, he said.

Long-range tactical radar systems, stationary electronic surveillance systems, smart lookout systems, air defense aircraft, fighter jets, transport planes, offensive and defensive electronic warfare equipment, and missile systems will be used during the war games, he added. 

Elsewhere in his remarks, Esmaeili said that various models of domestically designed unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), which are equipped with advanced systems, will be tested during the maneuvers.