Iranian air force launches large-scale joint air defense drill in the eastern part of Iran 1211123.

Diverse kinds of fighter jets, including, F-4, F-5, F-7, F-14, Mirage and Sukhoi, as well as refueling aircraft will also be deployed in the maneuver, according to the report.

On Sunday, Lieutenant Commander of Iranian Khatam al-Anbia Air Defense Base, General Shahrokh Shahram, said that different units of the Iranian armed forces, including the air forces of Iran's Army, aerospace forces of the IRGC, airborne units of the Army Ground Force and the Navy as well as the Basij (volunteer) forces and the Iranian border guard units participate in the annual air defense wargames.

Shahram, who is also the spokesman of the drills, said that the operating units will exercise defending hypothetical sensitive sites.

In addition to testing mobility and rapid reaction capability of participating units, the air defense units will test artillery and missile systems' capabilities for confronting different types of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) flying in different altitudes, said Fars.

Commander of Iranian Khatam al-Anbia Air Defense Base, Farzad Esmaili, told reporters that the maneuver code-named "Modafe' an-e Aseman-e Velayat 4" or "The Defenders of the Sky of Guardianship 4 " will be held in an area of more than 850,000 square km, accounting for half of the country, in which a large number of soldiers will participate.

The drill displays the full strength and preparedness of Iran's air defense forces to defend the Islamic republic's eastern borders, said the Iranian commander.

Various long-range radars and electronic surveillance systems will be tested during the drill and the units will practice modern tactics in response to the recent threats from certain parts of the world, Esmaili added.