Commander: Iranian Army’s Massive Joint Wargames to Kick Off on Sunday

“The main and operational phase of the Zolfaqar 1400 joint exercises of the Army of the Islamic Republic of Iran will start on Sunday with the participation of the Army’s Ground, Air, Air Defense and Naval forces in an area of one million square kilometers East of the Strait of Hormuz, the Sea of ​​Oman and the North Indian Ocean (up to 10 degrees orbit),” Rear Admiral Sayyari, also the commander of the drills, said.

He added that the Army’s infantry, armored and mechanized units, Air Defense, air force defense systems, Navy’s surface vessels and submarines, Army’s Air Force’s fighters and drones have been deployed in the general zone of the drills since days ago and have staged different exercises and the units will carry out the main phases of the joint Zolfaqar 1400 wargames on Sunday,” he added.

Rear Admiral Sayyari noted during the exercises, the Army’s drones, with the capability of electronic warfare and ability to carry a variety of combat and optical equipment cargos will simultaneously perform various planned joint exercises.

“The exercise is meant to send a serious warning message to the enemies and those who intend to harm Iran’s interests on land or in water, while for the friendly and Muslim countries and the dear people of our country, it has a message of hope in the resistance of the Army and other Armed Forces and trust in the capacities of countries to establish and strengthen security in the region without the presence of trans-regional forces,” Rear Admiral Sayyari said.

The Iranian Army Air Force had also late in October held the 10th edition of the drills, codenamed Fada’eeyan-e Harim-e Velayat (Devotees of the Velayat Sanctuary), in several airbases across the country, destroying hypothetical enemy targets with home-made ‘Yasin 90’ bombs.

In the main and operational phase of the 10th Fada’eeyan-e Harim-e Velayat military wargames, vital targets of hypothetical enemy were destroyed by the indigenized ‘Yasin 90’ bombs.

The drills were participated by all bases of Army Air Force and with a focus on airbases of Shahid Babayee in Isfahan, Shahid Yasini in Bushehr, Shahid Abdolkarimi in Bandar Abbas, Vahdati in Dezful and Shahid Fakouri in Tabriz under the direct command of the Army Air Force Headquarters.

On the first day of the operational phase of the military exercises, F-4 and F-5 bombers equipped with pinpointing, smart and precision-guided missiles and F-7 aircraft equipped with ‘Yasin 90’ bombs and home-made rockets with innovative techniques successfully destroyed the critical and vital targets of hypothetical enemy both on land and sea, Iran’s Army Air Force Commander Brigadier General Hamid Vahedi said at the time.

Also, F-5 and MiG-29 fighter jets conducted air operations successfully in real-time combat, in which the missile fired by hypothetical enemy was intercepted and destroyed by air-to-air missiles of Iran’s Army Air Force, he added.

During the military exercises, the Command Center will communicate directly with pilots in fighter jets to carry out their mission, so that targets of fighter jets will be determined from the Command post, General Vahedi said, adding that shooting against air targets with high speed and in various altitudes and air-to-ground bombardment were practiced at the first stage of the drills, using smart, indigenous and upgraded heavy and semi-heavy bombs as well as use of laser missiles, thermal television, radar and various rockets and bombs produced by the young Iranian experts.

The main phase and operational stage of the 10th Air Force drill entitled Fada’eeyan-e Harim-e Velayat was staged with the participation of manned and unmanned aircrafts of Iran’s Army Air Force in the presence of Commander-in-Chief of Army of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Deputy Commander of Armed Forces and a number of senior commanders and officials of Khatam al-Anbia Central Headquarters.

A wide range of aircraft and drones, including dozens of fighter jets, bombers, military transport aircraft, and reconnaissance aircraft, will be employed in the main and operational phase of the one-day drills.