Islamic Revolution Guards Corps forces hold naval drill in Persian Gulf

Naval forces of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) held the fifth stage of a naval drill in the Persian Gulf, Iranian news agencies reported on Sunday.
The drill was held to identify weak and strong points of IRGC forces, increase their combat capabilities and speed, test new pieces of military hardware, and practice tactics of modern warfare.

On the sidelines of the exercise, the commander of the IRGC’s first naval zone highlighted the importance of maintaining the country’s military preparedness and boosting the country’s defense capability and said that the military capabilities of armed forces have increased significantly compared with the past.

From December 28, 2012 to January 2, Iran held a major naval exercise, named the Velayat-91, in an area covering about one million square kilometers from the east side of the Strait of Hormuz in the Gulf of Oman to the northern Indian Ocean.

The six-day maneuvers were conducted in international waters and the country’s territorial waters with the participation of various units of the Iranian Navy, including submarines, warships, destroyers, missile systems, and special forces.

The war games were held to test the country’s new defense and missile systems, combat vessels, submarines, drones, and torpedoes, and provide naval forces with the opportunity to perform combat and reconnaissance missions, repel mock attacks, and practice countering electronic warfare measures.