Baku, Azerbaijan, May 23
By Umid Niayesh - Trend:
Iranian army's ground force has started a military drill to test a series of its newest domestically-made weapons.
The two-day military exercise dubbed "Beit ol-Moqaddas" takes place near Kashan city in Iran's central province of Isfahan, the country's IRINN State TV reported on May 23.
The army has test-fired a number of its new home-made missiles in the first phase of the drills, according to the report.
Senior Iranian military officials including the commander of the Army's Ground Force Brigadier General Ahmad Reza Pourdastan attended the war game.
Commenting on the goals of the drill, Pourdastan told reporters that the army seeks to improve its combat capability and readiness to participate in combat.
Previously Iranian media outlets quoted Pourdastan as saying that the army will test its 4-kilometer range missiles on its helicopters during Beit ol-Moqaddas.
Pourdastan said that the Iranian combat choppers which were recently equipped with high-precision guided missiles and rockets are capable of confronting all types of enemy threats even in asymmetric wars.
Earlier in April, the commander stated that Iran's Army Ground Force will stage 4 military drills during the current year, two of which he said are specialized war games.
Two of the planned drills will be held in Iran's southeastern and southwestern regions respectively, Pourdastan explained, adding that entire units of the armored, artillery, airborne and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) divisions will participate in the exercises.
Iranian media outlets report that Iran has made great achievements in its defense sector and attained self-sufficiency in producing essential military equipment and systems in recent years.
Since 1992, Iran has manufactured its own tanks, armored personnel carriers, missiles, radars, boats, submarines and fighter planes. Iran also unveiled its first domestically-manufactured long-range Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) in 2010.