The fighter jets of the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF) destroyed fixed and moving targets both on land and in the sea on the second day of the ongoing air drills over the country’s Southern waters in the Persian Gulf.

The Iranian Air Force IRIAF started two-day massive air drills codenamed Fadaeeyan-e Harim-e Vellayat IV over the county's Southern waters on Friday.

“Our F-5, Mirage and Saeqeh (Thunderbolt) fighter jets fullfilled air tracking missions and practiced air-to-surface shootings against specified targets and positions till late last night, and our Saeqeh and Mirage fighter jets hit their targets in long-range distances this morning,” Spokesman of Fadaeeyan-e Harim-e Vellayat IV Wargames Brigadier General Hossein Chitforoush said.

"The strategic Sukhoi-24 (SU-24) fighter-bombers, carrying optimized high-precision missiles built by Iranian experts, and Phantom, Mirage and Saeqeh fighter jets successfully destroyed fixed and moving targets on land and in the sea during the drills," he added.

Iranian Air Force Deputy Commander Brigadier General Alireza Barkhor told reporters on Thursday that the two-day exercises are the main and second phase of the large-scale drills of Fadaeeyan-e Harim-e Vellayat IV.

Units from all IRIAF bases are taking part in the three-phased drills.

The maneuvers are part of the annual exercises aimed at testing indigenous air defense systems, improving the units’ combat readiness and displaying the country’s military might and achievements, the Brigadier General Barkhor added.

According to Barkhor, air-to-air combat and targeting flying objects are the “technical core” of the exercises.

The drills involve different types of interceptor fighters, bomber fighters, transport aircraft and reconnaissance planes, the commander added.

He also said that the drill seeks to send a message of peace, friendship and security to the regional countries.

The latest air drills, codenamed 'Fadaeeyan-e Harim-e Vellayat III', were held in Iran's Northwestern regions in September 2012.

During the aerial drills the Iranian Air Force fighter jets practiced electronic war operations and Iran's two well-known home-made fighter jets, namely Saeqeh and Azarakhsh (Lightening) staged successful missions and bombed the specified targets under full radio silence.

Saeqeh and Azarakhsh were among the several squadrons of the Iranian Air Force fighter jets which conducted night raids on fixed and mobile targets under complete radio silence.

Different plane equipments, ammunitions and tactics went under test in the four phases of the exercises codenamed 'Fadaeeyan-e Harim-e Vellayat III'.

An array of fighter jets, fighter bombers, cargo and transportation planes, including F-4, F-5, Sukhoi-24 (SU-24) fighter-bombers, Mig-29 and the logistic C-130 planes, were used in the exercises.
 

News ID 185859