Iran’s Army Tests New Drones, Fighters in Drills

TEHRAN (defapress)- The Iranian Army’s Ground Forces used Mohajer drones and RF-4 fighters for reconnaissance purposes during the Friday round of operations in the massive two-day drills of 'Eqtedar 97' in the central province of Isfahan.

News ID: 75186

Date: 25 January 2019 - 20:08

The Mohajer drones and RF-4 fighters have carried out reconnaissance missions as part of the Iranian Army’s ‘Eghtedar 97’ military drills today.

As part of the large-scale ‘Eghtedar 97’ military drills two RF-4 fighters successfully carried out their reconnaissance mission over Nasrabad district.

Simultaneously, the UAV units of the Army flew two Mohajer drones along with the two RF-4 fighters over the area to carry out their joint reconnaissance mission and send their images of the targets back to their bases on the ground.

Invisible to radar, Mohajer drones are manufactured by Self-sufficiency Jihad Organization of the Army Ground Forces and are capable of carrying out missions in different climates.

Commander of Iran’s Army Ground Forces Brigadier General Kiomars Heidari inaugurated the two-day large-scale military drills code-named 'Eqtedar 97' (Velayat Power 2019) early in the morning today.

Speaking to reporters at a press conference on Thursday, Brigadier General Heidari said that as many as 12,000 are taking part in the drills and are planned to exercise their ‘offensive tactics’.

He added that different units of the Army's Ground Force, including 12,000 combat and mobile forces, will participate in the wargame.

General Heidari said that different home-made weapons will be tested in the drills and various types of military equipment, including helicopters, drones and fighter jets will be used.

He said that the message of war-games for the friends of Iran is that they can consider the country's military capabilities as part of the power of Islam's army, meantime, adding that the Iranian army is always ready to give a crushing and quick response to any aggression by enemies.

Earlier this month, the Iranian Air Force staged wargames in Isfahan province.

"During the wargames, Sukhoi 24, F4, F5, F7, Mig 29, F14 and Sa'eqeh heavy bombers and fighters and Boeing 707 and 747 refueling planes as well as C130 logistics and transportation planes and drones equipped with precision-striking missiles and long-range smart bombs are present; these aircraft have been deployed to Shahid Babayee airbase (in Isfahan) since several days ago," Spokesman of the drills General pilot Alireza Angizeh told reporters in Isfahan.

He added that in the course of the drills, the Mig-29 fighters traced and destroyed the missiles fired by F-5 fighter jets by optimized home-made R-73 missiles.

"Also, the F-4 planes smashed specified targets by heavy carpet bombing," General Angizeh said.

During the final and operational stage of the air drills in the Central Iranian province, the military forces engaged in air-to-air shooting exercises and shooting against air targets while flying at high speed in various altitudes.

The war-games also included air-to-ground shooting and bombing in day and night missions, by using smart, upgraded and domestically-manufactured heavy and semi-heavy bombers.

Other part of the drills included testing laser, thermal, monitor-controlled, and radar-controlled missile systems in operations as well as various types of rockets and bombs manufactured by Iranian experts.

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