Iran starts massive missile wargames

PanARMENIAN.Net - Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Force Commander Brigadier General Amir-Ali Hajizadeh announced plans to start massive missile wargames, codenamed Great Prophet-6, on Monday, June 27.

"Short-, medium- and long-range missiles will be fired, specially the Khalij-Fars, Sejil, Fateh, Ghiam, and Shahab-1 and -2 missiles," he said.

The General, whose force carries out wargames each year in the Persian Gulf region, said the latest exercises were "a message of peace and friendship to the countries of the region".

Hajizadeh did not mention how long the maneuvers will last, semi-official Fars News Agency reported.

Late in May, the Iranian Defense Ministry supplied large numbers of 'Qiyam (Rise) 1' high-precision ballistic missiles to the IRGC Aerospace Force. At the ceremony, Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi said that mass-production of Qiyam 1 missiles indicated Tehran's self-sufficiency in producing different types of missiles.

The minister added that the very special design of the missile makes its detection by radars and air defense systems difficult. He said that omission of the fins from the design has increased the velocity of the missile and shortened the launch time.

In February, Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari announced that the IRGC has started mass-production of a recently-developed smart anti-ship ballistic missile.

The Iranian Defense Ministry in October delivered the third generation of home-made Fateh-110 high-precision ballistic missiles to the IRGC Aerospace Force.