BUSHEHR A three-day air maneuver code-named Moharram was launched here Sunday with the participation of 800 personnel of seven air bases from throughout the country. Commander of bushehr 6th Fighter Base Brigadier General Siyavash Moshiri said that beefing up the combat readiness of Air Force, promoting its know-how and testing new equipment are among the main objectives of the military exercise.

Pilots and personnel of Bushehr, Hamedan, Tabriz, Dezful, Omidiyeh, Bandar Abbas and Chabahar fighter bases as well as 1st, 7th and 8th bases are taking part in the maneuver to demonstrate their combat power. He said that bombardment of positions of hypothetical enemy and launching missiles by using real ammunition will be performed during the maneuvers. Meanwhile, he added, fighter and reconnaissance planes will perform attack and counter-attack operations, in a formation of four, every 40 minutes.

Fighter bombers such as F-4, F-5 and F-7 will hit positions of the hypothetical enemy during Moharram maneuvers which will be performed in an area of 225 km, Brigadier General Moshiri said. The commander stated that two rehabilitated planes which were damaged in the course of the 1980-88 war, will also be used in the military exercise. (IRNA)