TEHRAN, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) -- Iran's army started on Thursday large-scale naval manoeuvres near the Strait of Hormuz, official news agency IRNA reported.
"The 69th squadron of the Naval Force, consisting of the Sahand destroyer and the Bandar Abbas support ship, are now in the Indian Ocean. Other units are present at the exercise," said Rear Admiral Shahram Irani, spokesman for the exercise code-named Zolfaqar-99.
According to IRNA's report, the three-day manoeuvres involve both surface and submarine vessels, and aerial units of the army's naval and air forces, as well as radar and missile systems of the Khatam al-Anbia Air Defense Base, ground forces and fighter jets.
Among the main equipment being used, the military spokesman pointed to homegrown submarine Fateh and Simorgh drone.
Meanwhile, Iran's Air Defense said it has warned the United States not to fly drones in the 2-million-square-km area where Iran's army is conducting the military exercise.
"With the announcement of the start of the Zolfaqar-99 Army Joint Exercise, a warning was issued to foreign drones flying near the exercise site, in order to take distance," Irani said.
The warning was first issued on Wednesday and since then, "a marked change in the behaviour of American drones" has been observed, the military spokesman claimed.
After receiving a warning by Iran's armed forces and checking the readiness of the Iranian surveillance, reconnaissance and defense systems, the U.S. surveillance drones were "forced to leave the area," according to the spokesman. Enditem
