Alwaght- Iran's IRGC Aerospace Force successfully hit mock enemy warships with home-grown missiles, in the northern Indian Ocean as the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) conducts massive military drills.
During the second and last stage of the drills, codenamed the Great Prophet 15, the IRGC's long-range missiles detected and destroyed the targets as they were sailing 1,800 kilometers away in a remote area in the ocean.
The mock attacks were carried out on Saturday morning with the presence of Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Baqeri, IRGC Chief-Commander Major General Hossein Salami, IRGC Aerospace Commander Brigadier General Amir-Ali Hajizadeh and a number of other high-ranking Iranian commanders.
General Salami said one of Iran’s main defense strategies is to destroy the hostile aircraft carriers and warships with long-range ballistic missiles.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a military exercise on Saturday, IRGC Chief-Commander said, “One of our main purposes in the defense policies and strategies is to be able to hit the enemy’s warships, including aircraft carriers and battlecruisers, with long-range ballistic missiles.”
While it is customary to destroy the mobile naval targets with low-speed cruise missiles, Iran can launch ballistic missiles from inland territories to hit targets in the ocean, the general said, hailing it as a great defense achievement of the IRGC Aerospace Force.
Major General Salami noted that the IRGC forces have practiced a ballistic missile operation at the war game to evaluate their defense tactics in action and be prepared to repeat the strike in real conditions if necessary.
On Friday and during the first stage of the large-scale military exercise in the central desert of Iran, the IRGC units launched a barrage of surface-to-surface ballistic missiles, which were followed by operations by offensive bomber drones.
A mixed attack, involving a new generation of surface-to-surface ballistic missiles and drones, was carried out and all designated targets were destroyed with pinpoint accuracy.
Ballistic missiles of Zulfaghar, Zelzal and Dezful classes were also fired at targets during Friday drills.
The missiles are reportedly equipped with detachable warheads and capable of being controlled outside the atmosphere.
Major General Salami said the missiles and drones showcased in the drills indicate the Iranian nation's strong resolve to defend their vital interests.
"The message of these drills is our power and strong determination to defend the Establishment and our values against the enemies of Islam and Iran," he added.
The IRGC military exercise follows Iranian Navy’s drills, codenamed Eqtedar-e Daryayi (Naval Strength) 99, which were held on Wednesday and Thursday in the Sea of Oman and the Persian Gulf.
The naval drills come amid America’s stepped-up military threats against Iran in the final days of US President Donald Trump in office.
Late last month, two American B-52 bombers flew over the Middle East. They deployed from Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota and were escorted by US F-16s, according to US Central Command.
It marked Washington’s third deployment of nuclear-capable B-52s to the region within 45 days.
On December 10, two B-52 long-range bombers took off at short notice from Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana for the non-stop, 36-hour mission to cross Europe and then the Arabian Peninsula to the Persian Gulf, according to US defense officials.
The US Navy had earlier announced the arrival of a nuclear-powered submarine in the Persian Gulf. The USS Georgia passed the Strait of Hormuz accompanied by two American warships, making it the first missile-loaded submarine of its kind to enter the region in eight years.
