[caption id="attachment_135369" align="alignright" width="172"] An Iranian-made missile is test-fired in this file photo.[/caption]
The Iranian Army plans to test-fire new long-rage weapons as well as smart armor-piercing missiles in upcoming military exercises late December, says a senior Iranian military commander.
All the new domestically-developed weapons and equipment supplied to the ground forces of the army since the previous drills will be tested in the upcoming maneuvers, said Deputy Commander of the Iranian Army's Ground Forces Brigadier General Kiumars Heidari on Sunday.
These weapons include weaponry used against enemy's air operations, maneuvers and equipment as well as new long-range weapons, said the Iranian commander.
New anti-armor missiles and smart anti-armor missiles will be tested in the military exercises, he said.
Earlier on Sunday, Commander of Iran's Ground Forces Brigadier General Ahmad Reza Pourdastan said that the Army and the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) plan to stage a joint war game in southeastern Iran in the second half of the current Iranian calendar year (ending March 20, 2015).
Pourdastan said that the drill will cover an area of 250,000 square kilometers from the northern part of Sistan and Baluchestan Province down to the coasts of the Sea of Oman.
In recent years, Iran has taken great strides in its defense sector and attained self-sufficiency in producing essential military equipment and systems.
The Islamic Republic has repeatedly assured other countries that its military might poses no threat to other states, saying that its defense doctrine is entirely based on deterrence.