Press TV- Irans large-scale air defense drillshave entered their final stage in the countrys southern belt, with the enlisted forces deploying missile defense systems against mock hostile aircraft as per schedule.
Wednesday marked the third and final day of Modafean-e-Aseman-e-Velayat 7 (The Defenders of Velayat Skies 7) maneuvers featuring Irans Army and the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC).
The morning phase of the exercises saw the participating forces debuting the Talash (Endeavor) missile defense system on the southern Khark Island to destroy mock intruding drones.
To enable the elimination of the aircraft, which transpired in under a second, the apparatus had to be operated in tandem with the Ofoq (Horizon) Airborne Fire-Control Radar (AFCR).
Elsewhere on the island, various other missile systems, including Mersad (Ambush), were deployed to annihilate mock aggressive aircraft using medium-range missiles.
The maneuvers spokesman Second Head of Brigade Abbas Farajpour said -- despite prior warning, which had been issued to foreign and domestic aircraft to avoid the drills general area -- aircraft belonging to extra-regional forces had to be warned away again on 12 occasions during the drills.
The maneuvers take place over an area measuring 496,000 square kilometers throughout Irans southern, southeastern, and southwestern parts, the skies above which constitute the countrys most frequented ones.
They involve around 17,000 military personnel. They seek to hone coordination among the different divisions of the Armed Forces employed to defend the countrys airspace.
The second day witnessed the recruits practicing high-precision targeting against mock invasive aircraft. It also featured first-ever application of the long-range aerospace telecommunications system named Aseman (Sky), which provided sustainable contact among the elements of the drill over a range of 150 kilometers.
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Military equipment are seen during the second stage of the Modafean-e-Aseman-e-Velayat 7 (The Defenders of Velayat Skies 7) wargames in Irans southern areas, December 27, 2016 (Photo by Tasnim)[/caption]During the first days escapades, various defensive apparatuses were successfully scrambled to designated positions in record time. The forces also tried their hands at intelligence gathering and electronic warfare.
Also debuting during the drills was the Jabbar (Authoritative) Smoke Generation System, which was used to create smokescreen complicating the mock enemys observation of action stations.
