Jon Gambrell – AFP July 29, 2020
Satellite photo of mock Iranian Nimitz-class carrier used as a target in IRGC drills. Click to enlarge
Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard launched missiles Tuesday targeting a mock aircraft carrier in the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a drill that included such a barrage of fire the U.S. military temporarily put two regional bases in the Mideast on alert amid tensions between the two countries.
The drill — and the American response to it — underlined the lingering threat of military conflict between Iran and the U.S. after a series of escalating incidents last year led to an American drone strike killing a top Iranian general in Baghdad. Tehran responded to that strike by firing ballistic missiles that wounded dozens of American forces in Iraq.
While the coronavirus pandemic has engulfed both Iran and the U.S. for months, there has been a growing confrontation as America argues to extend a yearslong U.N. weapons embargo on Tehran that is due to expire in October. A recent incident over Syria involving an American jet fighter approaching an Iranian passenger plane also has renewed tensions.
Iranian commandos fast-roped down from a helicopter onto the replica in the footage aired Tuesday from the exercise called “Great Prophet 14.” Anti-aircraft guns opened fire on a target drone near the port city of Bandar Abbas.
State television footage also showed a variety of missiles being fired from fast boats, trucks, mobile launchers and a helicopter, some targeting the fake carrier. A commander said the Guard, a force answerable only to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, planned to fire “long-range ballistic missiles” as well during the drill that will continue Wednesday.
Ballistic missile fire detected from the drill resulted in American troops being put on alert at Al-Dhafra Air Base in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates and Al-Udeid Air Base, the forward headquarters of the U.S. military’s Central Command in Qatar, the military said. Troops sought cover during that time.
“The incident lasted for a matter of minutes and an all clear was declared after the threat … had passed,” said U.S. Army Maj. Beth Riordan, a Central Command spokeswoman.
Both bases are hundreds of kilometers (miles) away from where Iran put the replica aircraft carrier.
Camouflaged Missiles Fired from Underground during Iran War Games
IFP News – July 29, 2020
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Day two of the final phase of major war games by Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) saw ballistic missiles fired from deep inside the ground.
The projectiles were completely camouflaged before their launch.
During the drills, the IRGC’s aerospace division, using modern tactics and equipment, displayed part of its capabilities in countering threats posed by the mock enemy.
Earlier, missiles were fired at a US mock aircraft carrier moved by Iran to the Persian Gulf.
The military exercises spans Hormozgan province, the west of the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf all the way into the heart of the country. The war games feature land, sea, air and space drills.
In the final phase of the maneuvers, missile, vessel and drone units of the IRGC’s Naval Force as well as the missile, drone and radar units of the IRGC’s Aerospace Division carry out operations and drills.
Iran can’t easily construct underground missile silos in open lands in secret; under mountains sure but in Iraq and Syria this is not an option. So the big news is that “camouflaged” missile… the correct term however is invisible as these are completely buried underground inside a special capsule! This is a new unique tech, the missile is inside a capsule and that capsule can be buried in various depths including “very deep” underground, there is no way of detection. These are not missile silos that Iran already has. The specially designed capsule ensures missile is not destroyed upon launch and penetrates out of the ground. It can be positioned straight or angled and any missile can be placed in such capsules. Such missiles are completely undetectable as they have no launchers and need no launch preparation. It is a serious capability! Many numbers of these missiles can be transferred and buried in a short time with a lot of dirt over them! The entire region can be riddled with these missile-capsules. The idea has been to have not much on the ground for US and allies to find and hit easily from air. These assure second-strike deterrence capability.
Iranians are quite an inventive people.
An Iranian invention hard to beat, by USNATO&EU and the rest of warmongering and murdering scum against the Iranian people and nation.
Leave these people alone, they have done nothing wrong by defending their country and own resources.
Make peace, trade, tourism i.s.o. war!
YLT
You should know hidden launch capability is very attractive:
Russia has Club-K project which is placed inside a container! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ch2Rqte6XOs
US has the XM501 project. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XM501_Non-Line-of-Sight_Launch_System
Both Russian and American projects are short ranged and cruise missiles; scanning containers on the ground or on a ship is easy and they are very vulnerable targets.
In contrast the Iranian “missile farm” project is solid-fuel ballistic missiles in special capsules buried underground which can have much greater range, destructive power, speed and accuracy with the added benefit of being completely hidden and also protected. These can last up to a decade without the need of maintenance. IRGC can get very creative with their control units as well. Wireless by nearby units, drones and even satellites or it can be wired with fiber optics. Once launched and out of the ground, missiles can be fed new target information.
The Israeli “IAI JUMPER” is very similar to the Russian and American variants and has cruise missiles in a container.