Iran celebrates National Army Day with military parade
Iran commemorates National Army Day with a large-scale military parade, showcasing the country’s defense preparedness and latest achievements in this sector.
Various units of the Islamic Republic Army are participating in the nationwide parades.
In Tehran, the ceremony takes place at the mausoleum of the Founder of the Islamic Republic, the Late Imam Khomeini, South of the capital.
Different units of Iran's Army forces are marching in uniform before top commanders in a show of military might and defensive power.
The ceremony is participated by President Hassan Rouhani, Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Hossein Baqeri and other senior military and government officials as well as foreign diplomats, military attaches and reporters.
Foreign delegates as well as military and civilian officials are also present in the ceremony. Ranking commanders of the Armed Forces also take part in the ceremony.
The latest military and defense achievements made by Iranian experts are on display at the parades, including Aftabaz passive (phased array) radar system, rapid-reaction command and control combat system and Kamin 2 and Seraj 1 missile systems.
Iranian Army Airborne Commander General Yousef Qorbani announced on Monday the country's plan to unveil a new short-range missile named 'Shafaq' during the military parades on the Army Day in Iran on April 18, adding that the missile is an upgrade of an earlier version with a longer range.
"The range of the missile has doubled to fly 8 to 12km farther compared with the previous version and given the regional threats that we are facing, they can be highly effective in combats in short-range combat zones," General Qorbani said.
The Iranian Armed Forces have recently test-fired different types of newly-developed missiles and torpedoes and tested a large number of home-made weapons, tools and equipment, including submarines, military ships, artillery, choppers, aircrafts, UAVs and air defense and electronic systems, during massive military drills.
Defense analysts and military observers say that Iran's wargames and its advancements in weapons production have proved as a deterrent factor.