Iran Stages Massive Air Drills

Local Editor

Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force [IRIAF] launched Friday massive air drills over the county's Southern waters.

This comes as a senior commander announced on Thursday that the two-day exercises are the main and second phase of large-scale drills codenamed Fadaeeyan-e Harim-e Vellayat IV.

Units from all IRIAF bases will take part in the three-phased drills, Deputy IRIAF Commander Brigadier General Alireza Barkhor told reporters.

The drills are part of annual exercises aimed at testing indigenous air defense systems, improving the units' combat readiness and displaying the country's military might and achievements, the commander added.

According to Barkhor, air-to-air combat and targeting flying objects are the "technical core" of the exercises.
He further added that the drills involve different types of interceptor fighters, bomber fighters, transport aircraft and reconnaissance planes, the commander added.
He also said that the drill seeks to send a message of peace, friendship and security to the regional countries.

The latest air drills, codenamed 'Fadaeeyan-e Harim-e Vellayat III', were held in Iran's Northwestern regions in September 2012.

During the aerial drills the Iranian Air Force fighter jets practiced electronic war operations and Iran's two well-known home-made fighter jets, namely Saeqeh [Thunderbolt] and Azarakhsh [Lightening] staged successful missions and bombed the specified targets under full radio silence.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team