• The 9-Dey short-range air defense system fires a surface-to-air missile toward a target during a military training exercise, in Iran, on January 19, 2024. (Iran's Ministry of Defense)

Iran's air defense forces operated the country's homegrown 9-Dey and Khordad-15 during an air defense specialized exercise, dubbed "Defenders of the Sky of Velayat 2023."

Although the event featured top-of-the-line Iranian air defense systems, exercises to defend against electronic warfare and cyber attacks were also conducted, as highlighted by Brigadier General Abbas Farajpour, the spokesperson of the military exercise.

"Paying attention to the issue of defense against electronic and cyber attacks and the capabilities of homegrown systems in this field is one of the achievements of this drill because the air defense systems of the army and the IRGC confronted hostile targets in this exercise in an electronic warfare environment," the official told reporters on Friday.

9-Dey 

The 9-Dey short-range air defense system, optimized to target low-flying objects, such as cruise missiles or drones, and munitions dropped from enemy planes, successfully intercepted and destroyed several assigned targets during the exercise. 

Produced by the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps, the 9-Dey marked a significant achievement of Iranian military development and was unveiled during Sayyed Ali Khamenei's visit to the IRGC Aerospace Force exhibition on November 19, 2023.

Iranian Armed Forces have successfully drilled operations against electronic and cyber attacks on air defense systems on the second day of specialized joint air defense exercises.https://t.co/BSeAWaX4IV pic.twitter.com/25tUfrcZyR

— Press TV (@PressTV) January 19, 2024

"The short-range and low-altitude air defense system '9-Dey' produced by the IRGC Aerospace Force successfully intercepted and destroyed the targets assigned by the country's integrated air defense network in the air defense specialized exercise of the Defenders of the Sky of Velayat 2023,"  Brigadier General Farajpour, told reporters on Friday.

It is worth noting that Friday's exercise marked the first operational display of the 9-Dey system.

After the recent ballistic missile strikes conducted against Mossad and terrorist targets by #Iran in Iraqi Kurdistan and occupied regions in #Syria, here's a glimpse of some of the best Iran-produced weapons. pic.twitter.com/C0LoAh1D8m

— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) January 19, 2024

Read more: Iran's latest strikes underline IRGC's ability to hit 'Israel'

Khordad-15

The Khordad-15 missile system was also operated by Iranian air defense troops, who shot down medium-altitude targets during the exercise.

Paired with the Sayyad-3 surface-to-air missiles, every individual mobile Khordad-15 launcher can simultaneously engage four targets at a range of 150-200 km.

The system is capable of taking down high-flying remotely controlled aircraft, bombers, and tactical fighter jets. The launcher's ability to rotate awards the system 360-degree coverage, allowing it to engage any of the above-mentioned approaching targets.

Iran has made strides in recent years in terms of its homegrown air defense systems, as it has produced systems that cover almost every category of air defenses, ranging from man-portable or single-launch weapons to complex high-tech multiple vertical launch air defense systems, such as the Tactical Sayyad system.

Earlier in September, the chief of the Self-Sufficiency Research Organization of the Army Air Defense Force announced several significant technological breakthroughs in its defense industry. The developments enabled the country to detect, target, and intercept cutting-edge US-made F-35 fighter jets, according to officials. Iran's quest to achieve defensive autonomy has been intrinsically tied to the country's Islamic Revolution in 1979, in which the West Asian nation announced its grounded opposition to imperialist powers in the region. This has spurred the country to advance complementary programs, including its ballistic, aircraft, and air defense programs. 

Read more: Iran shows advanced production capabilities at Russia's Army 2023 Expo