Iranian army to stage massive drills in southeastern Iran late October

Commander of the Iranian Army Ground Force Brigadier General Ahmad Reza Pourdastan announced that his armored brigades are scheduled to stage massive wargames in Southeastern Iran late October. Pourdastan said the Iranian Army’s Ground Forces plan to stage drills involving infantry and artillery regiments in the Southeastern parts of the country in the Iranian month of Aban (October 23-November 21, 2013). Also in June, General Pourdastan said that his forces would stage three sets of drills this year. Pourdastan voiced pleasure in the results of the assessments made over the recent Beitol-Moghaddas 25 Wargames in the Central Isfahan province, saying that the exercises succeeded in achieving all its desired objectives. “The Ground Force programs for the year 1392 (March 2013-March 2014) also includes more wargames, including the drills of the armored units in Southeastern Iran, followed by infantry drills in the Western parts of the country and tank-patterns exercises,” he said. “Alongside these drills, we aim to reinvigorate the training of our forces and meantime enhance the operational capacities of the Ground Force for confronting threats in asymmetric battles,” added the Ground Force commander. The Iranian Ground Force conducted Beit ol-Moqaddas 25 in the general zone of Isfahan from May 20 to 24 in a bid to boost its units' military preparedness and exercise different asymmetric tactics. Lieutenant Commander of Ground Force for Training General Hossein Shokouhi told FNA at the time that different army units, including air force, airborne, infantry, armored, cavalry, artillery, air-defense, drone, communications and logistical units participated in the wargames. Shokouhi further noted that during the drills, the Iranian army tested its latest home-made weapons and equipment, including the newly unveiled Shaher sniper rifle, Neinava tactical vehicle, optimized Scorpion tanks, anti-chopper launchers, Fadak wireless radio and Akhgar machinegun.