Iran’s IRGC begins third day of Great Prophet 8 military drill

Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has begun the third and last day of its ground and air military exercises codenamed Payambar-e A’zam 8 (The Great Prophet 8).

The drill is being held in the eastern regions of the country, including the cities of Kerman, Siriz and Sirjan.

Deputy Commander of the IRGC Ground Forces Brigadier General Abdullah Araqi said on Saturday that The Great Prophet 8 maneuver would involve the exercise of various techniques and tactics of passive defense in asymmetric warfare.

As part of the ongoing maneuvers, the IRGC Ground Forces attacked mock enemy positions using intelligence provided by surveillance drones. Special modern warfare units conducted drills and various types of unmanned aerial vehicles were also tested.

A 20-mm caliber shoulder-launched anti-aircraft gun, which can be used to shoot down any target as far as 1,400 meters away, was also tested on Saturday.

Over the past few years, Iran has held several military drills to enhance the defense capabilities of its armed forces and to test modern military tactics and equipment.

Last November, Iran’s Army and the IRGC conducted a joint drill, codenamed Modafe’an-e Aseman-e Velayat 4 (Defenders of the Velayat Skies 4). The exercises covered an area of 950,000 square kilometers in northeast, southeast, south and central Iran.

The IRGC held a three-day missile drill dubbed The Great Prophet 7 in the central Iranian province of Semnan in July 2012.

In January 2012, the IRGC Ground Forces held the Shohaday-e Vahdat (Martyrs of Unity) military drill in the eastern province of Khorasan Razavi.