Iranian news agency IRNA reported that Iran’s homemade missile defense system, Mersad, successfully targeted and destroyed a simulation of an attacking enemy drone during the Zolfaghar 1401 military exercises that kicked off on December 29 in the south of Iran.

IRNA indicated that the Mersad missile system identified, targeted, and destroyed a simulation of an enemy drone approaching Iran’s airspace through the sea in a night operation during the drills late on Saturday.

The attacking drone was destroyed by a Marsad #missile

In the Zulfiqar 1401 exercise of the #Iranian army, an attacking #UAV in the role of a hostile force that intended to approach #Iran's airspace was shot down by tactical missile system of Mersad. pic.twitter.com/Fd00afduIH

— Pal Cyber News (@PalCyberNews) January 1, 2023

According to the news agency, Mersad is a home-grown mobile tactical missile system with a detection range of 150 kilometers and high operational accuracy and longevity, which is capable of destroying targets within a distance of 40 kilometers.

Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari, who is in charge of Zolfaghar 1401, noted that the drills cover Jask region, located near the Strait of Hormuz in southern Iran, as well as areas to the north of the Indian Ocean.

A few days ago, Mehr quoted Sayyari as saying that the joint exercises aim to increase the readiness of the Iranian troops, which include "the infantry, armored, mechanized units of the ground forces, defense systems of the air defense force, subsurface, surface, flying vessels and rangers of the army navy with strategic fighter jets support."

He added that other goals of Zolfaghar 1401 include improving the skill of conducting operations in special conditions, such as contaminated environments with chemical, microbial, and nuclear materials, electronic warfare, and difficult weather conditions.

Sayyari pointed out that "security in the West Asian region is achievable by relying on the strength and unity of the countries in the region without the presence of the foreign powers."

"History shows that foreign countries from beyond the region have been belligerent and have not brought anything but insecurity, war and occupation to the West Asian region," he said.

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