Top Commander Visits Fordo N. Site to Inspect Air Defense Systems

Commander of Khatam ol-Anbia Air Defense Base Brigadier General Farzad Esmayeeli visited the air defense systems of Fordo nuclear site on Sunday in a bid to assess their preparedness against possible air raids.
General Esmayeeli inspected the air defense systems, including the advanced air defense missile shields and cannons, at the nuclear enrichment site in person.

Fordo has remained a bone of contention in the Iran-West debates over the former’s nuclear enrichment capabilities.

Tehran constructed the plant after Russia, France and the US refrained from supplying the 20-percent enriched uranium needed for fueling Tehran’s nuclear research reactor which produces radioisotopes for medical use, including imaging, diagnosis and treatment of cancer patients.

Both Israel and the US have repeatedly declared pending intentions for attacking Iran’s nuclear sites, specially Fordo.

Last year, Iran conducted tactical air defense drills at its vital nuclear sites, including the Fordo and Natanz enrichment plants and Arak Heavy Water nuclear facility, to assess the preparedness and combat capabilities of the artillery and missile systems deployed in these sites.

Khatam ol-Anbia Air Defense Base also carried out similar drills in Fordo, Tehran, Natanz, Bushehr and Isfahan in November 2010.

“This year, we carried out tactical drills which resembled real combat in Fordo, Tehran, Natanz, Bushehr and Isfahan,” Former Commander of Khatam ol-Anbia Air Defense Base Brigadier General Ahmad Miqani said at the time.

Iran’s Army and Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) hold regular wargames to practice combat tactics and also test new home-made military tools, equipment and weapons in action.