TEHRAN — The Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF) held the last stage of large-scale drills in central Iran on Tuesday to showcase its military power, using RF-4 military jets with advanced homegrown cameras.

In the annual aerial drill, codenamed Fadayeeyan Harim Velayat, the RF-4 military jets carried out reconnaissance operations in the central province of Isfahan on Monday.

Army Commander Brigadier General Abdolrahim Mousavi attended the Tuesday maneuvers. The war games were held at the electronic warfare of the Martyr Ali Abu Atta operation theater in the Anarak region. The maneuver, the ninth of its kind, began on Monday.

Speaking to reporters, the spokesperson for the war game said Iranian experts have equipped the RF-4 reconnaissance aircraft with "Samat" cameras, an advanced optical device manufactured by the Air Force, Tasnim reported.

Brigadier General Farhad Goodarzi said the RF-4 planes and "Kaman-12" drones sortied over the mock enemy’s positions for reconnaissance, aerial imaging and electronic eavesdropping.

Goodarzi said various military aircraft, including the homegrown Sa’eqe fighter jets, detonated the targets with Iranian rockets, smart bombs, missiles with pinpoint accuracy, standoff missiles, and air-to-surface rockets.

The general further said the military drill offered a message of peace, stability and friendship to regional countries.

He also warned the enemies that the Islamic Republic is ready to give a "crushing response" to any miscalculation

On Sunday, IRIAF Commander Brigadier General Aziz Nasirzadeh said the drilling squadrons would be flying Sukho-24 strategic bombers as well as F-4, F-5, F-7, F-14, MIG-29.

Nasirzadeh said the maneuvers are aimed at “practicing the implementation of operational plans and establishing the right model that would suit real-life battle.”

He said “modern warfare operations that are aimed at confronting the enemies’ emerging threats” will be practiced during the event.

The engaged fighters, the commander said, would also be sent on “long-range operations outside their defensive spheres,” while precision ammunition would be tested in surgical strikes and air-to-air missiles fired to test their high destructive power.

The maneuvers come on the 40th anniversary of the imposed war, the name given to Iraq’s 1980-88 warfare against the Islamic Republic under the Arab country’s former dictator Saddam Hussein.

The commander said young servicemen would be fielding their prowess during the exercise under the directions of the eight-year war veterans.

Nasirzadeh, meanwhile, hailed that the country was undertaking the maneuvers in the face of the enemies’ efforts to adversely affect its operations, including in the defensive area.

“Such readiness and capability bespeak the ineffectuality of the sanctions in the military area. We have been experiencing these sanctions for years and have managed to stand on our own feet,” Nasirzadeh said, noting that it would make no difference for the Islamic Republic’s defensive capability whether the bans were to be lifted or retained.

MH/