Naval exercises that have begun are called "Sustainable Security 1400" (Iran uses a different chronology). On the territory in 77 thousand square kilometers, significant forces and means of the Iranian fleet will be involved: The Navy will hone the skills of conducting offensive and defensive combat operations in the territorial waters of the country.
Tehran claims, that the main task of the exercises is to work out action scenarios for the protection of territorial waters, country borders, ensuring the safety of the main transport routes. Warships with anti-ship missiles will take part in the exercises, fighters and helicopters of naval aviation, rocket launchers, naval drones. From the air, the naval exercises will be supported by the Iranian Air Force.
meanwhile, a week earlier, 22-23 June, Azerbaijan conducted its military exercises in the Caspian, a 18-24 May - Russia and Kazakhstan. Moreover, the states neighboring Iran had practically the same goals of the exercises.: work out scenarios of actions in case of a need to protect navigation.
It should be noted, that earlier the Iranian Navy conducted exercises in the Persian Gulf, and in February 2021 even two-day naval exercises of the Russian Navy and the Iranian Navy in the Gulf of Oman and the northwestern Indian Ocean took place. Before that, in January 2021 of the year, Iran also conducted exercises in the Gulf of Oman, thus responding to the sending by the United States to the Persian Gulf of a submarine with guided missiles and two cruisers.
Iranian Navy Commander Rear Admiral Hossein Khanzadi 30 June called on the US and the EU to stop the presence of their warships off the southern coast of Iran. Of course, nor in Washington, neither in European capitals will they react to such statements by the Iranian authorities in any way and will continue to pursue the same policy, therefore, Tehran has no choice, how to develop the existing capabilities of your naval forces.
Considering, that the potential of the Iranian Navy cannot be, of course, compare with American naval power, Tehran is left to use cheaper, but no less effective, for example, fleets of light boats or unmanned aerial vehicles.
As experience has shown, with the help of drones, you can effectively act against even a much stronger enemy militarily. for example, the same Yemeni Houthis have been opposing for years a large Arab coalition led by such rich countries as Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Furthermore, Houthi drones even managed to attack objects on the territory of the KSA, despite the air defense system. Therefore, Iran, in its naval exercises, is now placing special emphasis on practicing drone tactics..
The Caspian Sea is very suitable for military exercises, since there are no countries unfriendly to Iran, unlike the south coast of the country, near which there are already American ships and submarines.
Author:Ilya Polonsky
