6-Day Exercises Start on
Thursday, Include All Branches of Artesh
Iran’s regular armed
forces, Artesh, will stage massive drills on Thursday, Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayari announced
today. The exercises, code named ‘Mohammad Rasouallah,’ will be joint maneuvers
involving Artesh’s Naval, Ground and Air Forces, with the support of Khatam
al-Anbia Air Defense Forces, and will last for six days, Adm. Sayyari added.
The wargames will cover an area east of the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of
Oman, the area of responsibility for Iran’s regular Navy. (Fars News Agency, 23
December)
Sayyari said the Armed Forces
would deploy units, equipment and weapons to showcase Iran’s military power.
The Navy would deploy frigates, submarines, aircraft and helicopters, and
anti-ship cruise missiles. It is expected that the Navy would also deploy Naval
infantry personnel as in similar exercises previously. The Ground Forces could
deploy brigade-sized elements and Special Forces. The Air Force will deploy
aircraft, including F-4 Phantoms capable of launching anti-ship cruise
missiles.
By the size of the drills
announced today, it appears that ‘Mohammad Rasouallah’ would encompass annual Velayat naval exercises and Ground
Forces’ annual drills, supported by the Air Force and Khatam
al-Anbia Air Defense Forces. And these wargames would be the biggest by Artesh in
many years.
File photo: IRIF formation
of F-14A Tomcats flown from Isfahan’s Shahid Beheshti Tactical Air Base during Military
Day 2014; Tehran, April 2014 (IRNA)
