Iran starts major missile maneuver: commander

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2011-06-27 English.news.cn

TEHRAN, June 27 (Xinhua) -- An Islamic Revolution Guard Corps ( IRGC) commander said that Iran began the major missile maneuver dubbed Piambar A'zam-6 (Great Prophet-6) on Monday, the semi- official Mehr news agency reported.

Colonel Asghar Qlitchkhani, the spokesmen for the wargame, said that the first stage of the missile maneuver was started by unveiling the missile launching silos.

The technology and the construction of the silos are totally local and have been developed and built by the Iranian experts, said Qlitchkhani.

The permanent readiness of the missiles in the vertical position is one of the important features of these silos, the commander said, adding that all the launching stages of the missile are electronic and are remote-controlled.

The silos function as one of the swift-reaction units of the missile commandment so that, permanently in the vertical position, they are ready to hit the pre-determined targets, he was quoted a saying.

The second stage of the wargame will be conducted on Tuesday, he added.

The aerospace commander of the IRGC, Amir Ali Hajizadeh, said Sunday that the Piambar A'zam-6 would last for 10 days.

The maneuver had totally defensive objectives and would be held with the message of "peace and friendship," Hajizadeh said.

Another objective of the missile drill was to assess and upgrade the readiness of the military units, to practice new tactics and to place the younger graduated generations by the side of the experienced ones, he said.

In the drill, some of Iran's missile capabilities and products would be on show and the long-range, medium-range and short-range missiles for ground and marine targets would be harnessed, said the commander without specifying the region or the scope of the maneuver.

The U.S. established numerous bases in the region, in the east, in the west and in the southern neighborhood of the country and Iran was conducting the maneuver to enhance its defensive readiness, said Hajizadeh.