Iran to increase defense power as threat heightens: Cmdr.

Speaking in an interview with Mehr news agency on Thu. on the sidelines of Modafean Aseman Velayat' (The Defenders of Velayat Skies) Military Drill, Brigadier-General Ali Reza Elhami stated, “In line with implementing its mission of protecting country’s borders, Army Air Defense will launch its latest air defense tactics in this annual military exercise and consequently, it will increase its defense power as threat against the country heightens.”

In this military drill, all defense-military equipment have been used 100% domestically for the first time and no foreign military equipment is used in the drill, he said, reiterating that all defense equipment is either 100% produced by country’s Army Air Defense Force or manufactured jointly by experts at Army Air Defense and Ministry of Defense.

Optimization of defense systems is one of the salient specifications of the military drill, he maintained.

Transferring technical knowhow and knowledge to talented defense staff, using the optimized equipment such as Soroush Radar Defense System, which is launched for the first time in the military exercise, is of the other characteristics of Modafean Aseman Velayat' (The Defenders of Velayat Skies) Military Drill, Brigadier General Elhami underlined.

In this military exercise, “We will use and evaluate a new generation of indigenous equipment and weapons in various ranges, he said, adding. “For instance, we will use the long-range missile defense system, Bavar-373, which is launched for the first time in the exercise.”

Elsewhere in his remarks, he pointed to Khordad 15 defense system and added, “For the first time, we have used Khordad 15 Defense Missile System with a more severe confrontation scenario than in the past and we successfully tested this system as a new generation of surface-to-air missile equipment in the exercise.”

Deputy Commander of Iranian Army Air Defense reiterated that the country increases its defense power when threats against the country are intensified in line with preserving borders of country from enemies’ threats.

MA/5053443