Politics
22:42, 10-Jan-2019
Iran's army launches large-scale air drills
Updated
21:37, 13-Jan-2019
["china"]
Share
Copied
Iran's Air Force kicked off a massive two-day military exercise in the country's central region on Thursday, the official IRNA news agency reported.
The war games, named Defenders of Velayat Skies, began at Shahid Babaei air base in the province of Isfahan. The drills' spokesman Alireza Angizeh said that other air bases across the country would join the annual maneuvers.
The exercise aims to enhance the preparedness of Iranian defensive and offensive units as well as test the capabilities of Iranian air defense hardware to protect the country against threats.
The maneuvers will put to test dozens of bombers, hunter and interceptor jets as well as transport, refueling, reconnaissance and patrolling aircraft besides unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), according to the Press TV.
Sukhoi Su-24, F-4 and F-7 Phantoms, MiG-29, F-14 jets, Boeing 707 and 7047 aerial refueling planes and C-130 Hercules transport aircraft, along with drones equipped with precision strike missiles and long-range smart bombs are taking part.
Domestically manufactured rockets and bombs, as well as laser-guided, anti-radar and thermal missiles, are being put to test during the exercises.
(Cover: Iran's Air Force started massive air drills by simulating real battle scenes, October 31, 2017. /Xinhua)
Source(s): Xinhua News Agency