Three homegrown warships, recently added to Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) naval fleet, have taken part in a combined naval exercise at the northern tip of the Indian Ocean, and conducted major maritime maneuvers.
Commander of the IRGC Navy’s Imam Ali Base in Chabahar, Rear Admiral Mohammad Nozari, said that Shahid Mahmoudi, Shahid Soleimani, and Shahdi Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis warships, Tondar-class Shahid Tavassoli frigate, as well as IRGC maritime helicopters and marines participated in the Maritime Security Belt 2024 war game.
Nozari noted that the IRGC warships, equipped with indigenously-manufactured sophisticated munitions, can undertake long-haul missions in oceans and open seas, and ensure prolonged naval presence.
The IRGC Navy has partaken in the naval exercise with three domestically-developed warships and two frigates, noting that the drills cover an expanse of 17 thousand square kilometers, and the exercise area includes three of the world’s five strategic straits, located in the northern Indian Ocean region, which is a crucial hub for energy and trade traffic globally, he added.
The senior IRGC Navy commander described consolidation of security in the region, promotion of multilateral cooperation among the participating countries, and the participants’ demonstration of jointly safeguarding global peace and maritime security as among the principal objectives of the Maritime Security Belt 2024 drills.
He further stated that the exercise features a variety of tactical maneuvers such as rescuing vessels on fire, liberating hijacked merchant vessels, striking designated targets, conducting night aerial target operations, and other tactical and operational drills.
Meanwhile, Rear Admiral Mostafa Tajeddini, spokesman for the joint war game, said naval forces of Iran, Russia and China have successfully conducted a photo exercise (PHOTOEX), and practiced formation of various tactical patterns.
Tajeddini highlighted that all stages of the naval exercise are being monitored by the Islamic Republic of Iran Navy and the IRGC helicopters.
The two-day Maritime Security Belt 2024 naval drills kicked off on Tuesday. The naval and airborne units of the Islamic Republic of Iran Navy, together with their Chinese and Russian counterparts, are participating in the exercises.
Naval delegations from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Oman, Pakistan and South Africa have taken part in the drills as observers.
