Speaking in a televised interview on Tuesday, Second Brigadier General Mohammad Sadeghian congratulated the establishment anniversary of Khatam al-Anbiya Air Defense Base and National Air Defense Day, emphasizing, “Air defense is undertaken major four missions throughout the country, including detection, reconnaissance, interception, and engagement of aerial targets.”
The main mission of air defense is to detect any flying object in the skies of the Islamic Republic of Iran and even beyond the country's skies, he said, adding, “After detecting, the identification phase is carried out and, if necessary, interception is caried out by fighter aircraft or engagement using missiles and defense systems.”
Ultimately, the defense mission is to prevent hostile aircraft from carrying out their mission and, if necessary, destroy it, General Sadeghian underlined.
Turning to the role of air defense in normal [no war] conditions, he said, "The defense mission is not limited to wartime conditions. Every passenger plane that intends to enter the country’s airspace or travel between different cities, as well as all types of helicopters and aircrafts that operate for various missions, including relief, operate within the framework of air defense coordination and permits."
He went on to say that that air defense forces are present in more than 3,800 locations in the country, many of these locations are stationed in hard-to-pass areas.
Iran is a country with diverse geographical features, and defense forces are stationed in deserts, coasts, islands, and highlands, General Sadeghian added.
The surveillance forces, equipped with special equipment, electro-optical systems, and state-of-the-art technologies, along with a radar network, monitor and control the country's skies and even beyond Iran's skies 24 hours a day.
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