Iran's Air Force to stage large-scale war games

Iran's Air Force to stage large-scale war games TEHRAN: July 17, 2008 - Iran's military will hold a major air exercise soon to demonstrate its military and defense capabilities, the commander of Iran's Air Force said on Tuesday. Ahmad Mighani said the war games, dubbed Protectors of Velayat Air, "will demonstrate our strength and will send the message to our enemies that if they contemplate an attack, they will meet a powerful blow." He said the Air Force was operating at full combat readiness and claimed that Iran had developed aircraft that were capable of evading radar detection, which "would increase the country's air strength." Iran successfully launched last week an upgraded Shahab-3 ballistic missile as part of the Great Prophet III military exercise in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, drawing a new wave of international criticism. The Iranian missile tests came after the Israeli Air Force conducted military exercises involving over 100 fighters in early June. The exercises were widely seen as a 'dress rehearsal' for an attack on Iranian nuclear facilities. The United States has also not ruled out a military strike against Iran if the Islamic Republic refuses to halt its nuclear program, which Western countries believe is a cover for a weapons program. Iran says it needs the program to produce electricity. Iran has reacted to rumors of an imminent attack by Israel and/or the U.S. by promising to deliver a "powerful blow" to any aggressor. A senior military official said on Saturday Iran's armed forces would launch devastating strikes against Israel and 32 American bases in the Middle East if those countries dared to attack.