TEHRAN - Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi, the chief of Iran’s Army, paid a visit to different military centers in the central province of Kerman to oversee the forces’ combat and defense capabilities at the highest level possible, a military source reported on Saturday. 

The source said the Army chief was accompanied by Ground Force Commander Brigadier General Kiomars Heidari.

The commanders managed to pay visit to the Army’s Airborne Unit near Kerman city, according to the source. 

General Mousavi addressed the military staff and commanders during his visit, urging them to do their best to reinvigorate their military might and preparedness. 

Earlier this month, Heidari announced that the Airborne Unit has boosted the range of missiles fired by helicopters.

"Today, the range of Army Airborne Unit's missiles has increased to a very desirable level and we have achieved self-sufficiency in the field of night-vision systems and we can fly overnight and destroy targets," General Heidari said, addressing a meeting in Tehran at the time.

He described the Airborne Unit as the biggest helicopter fleet in the Middle-East.

Elsewhere, General Heidari also said that experts at the Defense Ministry in cooperation with other industries inside the country managed to overhaul 33 helicopters for future missions.

General Heidari had announced in 2018 that the Airborne Unit had tripled the range of missiles mounted on its helicopters.

"Three major changes have been made in the Airborne Unit, including equipment of helicopters with night-vision systems, tripling the range of missiles mounted on them and increasing the speed of overhaul," Heidari told reporters in Tehran at the time.

He also underlined that the country has established the most powerful helicopter fleet in the region.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran's Airborne Unit has paved the path of progress very well since the victory of the Islamic Revolution in a way that today, we have the most powerful helicopter fleet in the Middle-East," Heidari added.

He stressed that the Airborne Unit was always ready to defend the country against different threats, including the terrorist groups.

MJ/PA