Iranian Commander: Enemy’s Military Arrangements Changed by Army-IRGC Joint Plans

Lieutenant Commander of Khatam ol-Anbia Air Defense Base Brigadier General Alireza Sabahifard said joint air defense plans by the Iranian Army and the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) have made the enemies of the country change their military approach and patterns in the region.
“The (Khatam ol-Anbia) Air Defense Base has inseparable ties with all forces in the Army and the IRGC and it has and is implementing different joint projects with the IRGC’s Air Defense force which have caused a change in the behavior of the enemy at regional levels,” General Sabahifard said, addressing a meeting with a group of the Armed Forces commanders in Tehran on Wednesday.

He explained that a well-known example of such cooperation was the joint operation of the Air Defense Base and the Iranian Air Force when they forced the plane carrying the notorious terrorist Jundollah’s ringleader, Abdolmalek Rigi, to land in Iran and when they forced an International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) aircraft which was flying over Iran’s airspace to land.

“Such successes would not have been achieved if there hadn’t been such cooperation.”

General Sabahifard reiterated that Khatam ol-Anbia Air Defense Base has close cooperation with the Iranian Army’s Ground Force and Navy in various fields of artillery, intelligence and reconnaissance and it has also close cooperation with the Police and Basij (Volunteer) Forces.

Last month, Commander of Khatam ol-Anbia Air Defense Base Brigadier General Farzad Esmayeeli stressed his forces’ full preparedness to defend Iran’s airspace, and said the country plans to further expand its air defense network.

“Today the country’s airspace is monitored point by point by the air defense base, and with God’s help, the power of the air defense base will grow even further after we increase our air defense points from 3,600 to 5,000 sites,” Esmayeeli said after visiting Zabol radar site in Southeastern Iran.

Iranian commanders have on many occasions underlined that Iran’s outstanding air defense power has, as acknowledged by the entire world, made Iran’s sky the most secure one in the world thanks to using different home-made equipment and weapons.

In October, General Sabahifard said Iran’s outstanding air defense power has, as acknowledged by the entire world, made Iran’s sky the most secure one in the world.

“The country’s air defense power has grown remarkably in recent years after utilizing new information and monitoring equipment for tracing and identifying flying objects and this power has made the Islamic Republic of Iran’s sky the most secure one in the world, as acknowledged by the world states,” Sabahifard said in the Central province of Isfahan.

He underscored that the power of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the air defense field is so much that the enemies don’t even imagine of conducting an aggression against the country.

In September, a senior Iranian commander underlined that the country enjoys such a powerful air defense system now that no enemy flying object can approach the country’s border without being noticed and confronted.

“Today, Iran’s air defense has the capability to trace and intercept any aggression,” Commander of Isfahan province’s Air Defense Base General Abazar Jokar said in a press conference.

He also added that the Air Defense force uses powerful home-made defense products and its tracing and defense possibilities and equipment are unique in the world.

Also in September, General Esmayeeli announced that Iran would unveil and launch several new hi-tech radar and air defense systems with various capabilities, including trace and identification of small flying objects, this year.

“Arash 2 radar system with the capability of discovering small flying objects which is based on the world’s state-of-the-art technology is one of the latest achievements” of Iran’s air defense, Esmayeeli said in a press conference on the occasion of the Air Defense Day in Iran.

He described indigenization of systems and equipment as a priority for Iran’s defense system, and said, “Since last year, 4 systems have become fully operational, which will be unveiled and added to the air defense cycle soon.”

“One of these systems is a long-range space radar with combined frequencies and the capability of discovering small flying objects and cruise missiles.”

Esmayeeli also elaborated on the new defense systems built by the country’s specialists, and said, “All Talash 1, 2 and 3 missile systems which enjoy the capability of engagement have been tested and will join the integrated (missile defense) network soon.”

Also in August, Sabahifard said, “At present, every part of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s airspace is connected to the integrated air defense network and the smallest movements cannot go unnoticed by the eagle eyes of the air defense base”.

He underlined the special importance of air defense in the country’s defense system, and said, “Before the Islamic Revolution in Iran (1979) air defense was limited to protecting a number of Air Force bases and some important cities, but when the Iraqi-imposed war on Iran (1980-1988) started and the enemy launched comprehensive attacks on all the sensitive and vital centers of the country, Iran’s air defense grew on a daily basis to the point that now air defense units have been deployed in more than 3600 sites.”

In relevant remarks in April, General Sabahifard said the Iranian air defense force enjoys state-of-the-art detection and interception systems and is monitoring the country’s skies 24 hours a day.

“The air defense force is monitoring the country’s skies day and night with the help of various state-of-the-art and indigenized radar systems and its integrated watchtower system,” he told reporters at the time.

General Sabahifard underlined that the air defense force should pursue its missions with high speed and precision. “Thus, this force is rapidly enhancing its capabilities through its cooperation with the industrial sector and the universities.”