Blow of Zolfaqar wargame to continue in Persian Gulf, Oman Sea

Originally at http://www.irna.ir/en/news/view/menu-234/0608257693170933.htm

Another stage of the big `Blow of Zolfaqar' manoeuvre will start in the Persian Gulf and Oman Sea as of Saturday, said a military official here on Friday.

Brigadier General Rahim Moussavi said the new stage of the wargame by the Islamic Republic Army's marine forces will feature test-fire of the surface-to-surface missiles.

Moussavi said Iranian forces had thus far done well in different stages of the wargame.

"Different units of the Islamic Republic's Army managed to perform the new combat and defense tactics well in the zones they were supposed to conduct their mission," he said.

He noted that the Army's ground forces managed to fulfill their missions well in the deserts, forests and mountainous regions.

The previous stages of the military exercise included rapid reaction operations, involving troop deployment and simultaneous dispatch of 12 divisions of the Islamic Republic Army's ground forces within framework of 120,000 forces to different regions.

The maneuver was reportedly held in Tehran as well as in the northeastern, northwestern, eastern, southeastern, northern, western, and southwestern parts of Iran, including the cities of Zahedan (Sistan-Baluchestan Province), Mashhad (Razavi Khorassan Province), Gorgan (Golestan Province), Shahroud (Semnan Province), Tabriz (East Azarbaijan Province), Pasveh (West Azarbaijan Province), Kermanshah (Kermanshah Province), Khorramabad (Lorestan Province), Ahvaz (Khuzestan Province) and Sanandaj (Kordestan Province).

The forces taking part in the operations managed to fulfill their mission and fight the aggressive enemy.

The "Zarbat-e Zolfaqar" refers to Imam Ali (AS), first Imam of the Household of the Holy Prophet, and is a symbol of courage and power for Shi'ites.

The Iranian Armed Forces launched the first stage of the wargames on Saturday in the border regions of Sistan-Baluchestan eastern province with the exercise codename "Ya Rasulallah".

Army commandos, parachutists, mobile shoulder-firing units, electronic warfare teams, special forces, rapid reaction forces, and Chinook helicopter and drone wings are demonstrating their readiness during the exercise, which is one of the largest such military maneuvers conducted by Iran in recent years.

The Iranian Armed Forces plan to demonstrate their airborne power against a mock enemy in a very different way in these wargames.

Some of the newly made electronic equipment is said to be deployed in the extensive wargames codenamed "Zarbat-e Zolfaqar".

Some of such military equipment reportedly used in the second stage of the maneuvers included intelligence electronic,
anti-electronic and communications systems, which can jam the enemy's communications.

Mobile radio transmission systems with a range of 100 kilometers were also used during the second stage in order to interrupt the tactical communications of the enemy and disseminate information to the people and the armed forces.

Reports said that intelligent and controllable networks were also deployed by the electronic war units when conducting anti-electronic operations.

Brigadier General Kiumars Heidari, spokesman for Iran's five-week maneuver, announced that the 2nd stage of the wargame took place and it included the testing of their new surface-to-surface missile, the Iranian made Saeqeh (Thunderbolt).

He added that surface-to-sea missiles were also fired. Both missiles were tested at what he called a far distance and they demonstrated their remarkable range and high precision.

General Heidari then mentioned this stage of the maneuvers included units at intelligence sites. Electronic and anti-electronic units also demonstrated their potential.

There are several stages to these five-week wargames. They are being waged in 16 provinces in southern, southwestern and western Iran.