Take A Peek At War Games, Two US Military Drones Intercepted By The Iranian Air Force

Illustration of the United States MQ-9 Reaper drone. (Wikimedia Commons/US Air Force/Lawrence Crespo)

JAKARTA - Iran has announced that it has intercepted two US military drones, calling it an attempt to spy on Tehran's ongoing military drills and giving a stern warning.

9, the military drills media bureau codenamed Zolfaqar-1400 said in a statement Tuesday that US drones, the General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper and Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk, infiltrated the Flight Information Area. (FIR) and Iran's Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ).

The statement further explained that the American drone had been monitored by Iran's integrated air defense network from a distance of several kilometers. A warning was issued by the Air Defense Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran when they tried to approach the war games area.

The statement continued, the Uncle Sam's land drone then turned and left the area shortly after.

Troops from the Army, Navy, Air Force and Air Defense have taken part in the Zolfaqar-1400 war game that covers an area stretching from the eastern sector of the strategic Strait of Hormuz to the northern tip of the Indian Ocean. Joint military exercises began on Sunday.

On the second day of the exercise, the Iranian Navy's offshore units flew home-made Omid drones and radar evaders, to interfere with mock enemy radars stationed on the coast. Unmanned aerial vehicles are said to be quite effective in electronic warfare.

Iranian military experts and technicians in recent years have made great progress in developing and manufacturing various military equipment, making the armed forces self-sufficient in this regard.

Illustration of the RQ-4 Global Hawk drone. (Wikimedia Commons/Erik Hildebrandt/US Navy)

Meanwhile, Iranian officials have repeatedly underlined the country will not hesitate to build up its defense capabilities, stressing such capabilities are fully intended for defense purposes and will never be subject to negotiations.

Separately, citing The Jerusalem Post, this time's war games include the use of drones as well as exercises with soldiers. Iran said it flew Mirage and F-4 fighters during the exercises, as well as P-3 reconnaissance planes.

Iran also said it used naval helicopters and tanks in recent drills. Admiral Amir Seyed Mahmoud Mousavi, spokesman for the joint exercise Zulfiqar 1400, announced, "This exercise was held with the implementation of various military scenarios in an operational area of more than one million square meters."

The aim of the exercise is to increase Iran's capabilities along the coast. It also trains to operate further from the shoreline. This includes the use of drones and evaluation of the "accuracy and destructive power of coastal, naval and air-based missile systems."

Iran says it continues to build new weapons based on local designs. "Also, the manifestation of military authority as a strong arm of the holy system of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the southeastern region of the country and ensuring the security of investments in this region, including our presence in international and distant open waters," Mousavi said.