TEHRAN - The joint specialized air defense exercise of the Modafe’an-e Aseman-e Velayat (Defenders of Sky of Velayat) kicked off on Tuesday morning in Iran’s central desert.

The military drill kicked off with the deployment of indigenous missile, radar, reconnaissance, electronic warfare, communication systems, and visual surveillance network, Fars News reported.

Announcing the start of the exercise, Brigadier General Qader Rahimzadeh, Commander of Khatam al-Anbia Air Defense Base, said in the first phase of air defense exercise, the deployment of defense systems with “the rapid reaction of operational forces in accordance with the principles of passive defense to deceive the enemy were carried out."

General Rahimzadeh added: "At this stage of the exercise, reconnaissance flights and identification of manned and unmanned aircraft of the Army and the IRGC were conducted."

Protecting the air borders of the Islamic Republic and comprehensive protection of the country's sensitive and vital centers are among the aims of the drills, the commander stated.

Pointing to the use of indigenous air defense systems in the exercise, the commander of air defense base said stationing command and control systems, the indigenous Meraj radar systems, Fatah-2 radars, tactical intelligence and reconnaissance systems, electro-optical systems and electronic warfare systems were used in the exercise.

Referring to the air defense systems used in the exercise, General Rahimzadeh said: "In the joint specialized air defense exercise, all detection, reconnaissance, interception and combat systems used by the army and IRGC air defense units are manufactured by committed Iranian specialists and youth in the armed forces and defense industries of the country."

He called the slogan of the drill "defense authority, secure sky " and said that the formation of safe layers of air defense to protect the air borders of Iran and also comprehensive defense of the country's critical centers were among the objectives of the military exercise.

Iran has made major inroads in designing and building sophisticated weapons. For example, the air defense missile system, named Bavar 373, is believed to rival the Russian-made S-300. The progress in defense industry can serve as a catalyst for advances in other industries in the country.