Top commander calls for stronger air defence, cyber capabilities and combat readiness amid rising threats

By Sadiq Abdulfatah

Iran’s Armed Forces have pledged to respond quickly and effectively to any military threat against the country as senior commanders call for stronger air-defence capabilities and greater preparedness.

Chief of General Staff of Iran’s Armed Forces, Major General Ali Abdollahi, made the declaration in a message to the commander of the Khatam al-Anbiya Joint Air Defense Headquarters, Brigadier General Alireza Elhami, marking Air Defense Day and the anniversary of the establishment of the headquarters.

Abdollahi described the occasion as a tribute to the courage, knowledge and steadfastness of Iranian air-defence personnel responsible for protecting the country’s airspace.

He said strengthening Iran’s air-defence capabilities requires implementing the directives of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei.

The commander called for greater emphasis on offensive air-defence strategies and the development of an integrated and active network capable of responding to threats before they reach Iranian territory.

He also stressed the need to link reconnaissance, radar and missile systems through a smart and resilient network capable of detecting and neutralising potential threats at the greatest possible distance.

According to Abdollahi, Iran must also continue developing advanced technologies and localising its defence systems, particularly in areas related to electronic and cyber warfare.

He said the Armed Forces’ strategy of responding promptly and effectively must cover not only conventional military threats but also emerging, cognitive and hybrid forms of warfare.

Abdollahi attributed the strengthening of this capability to greater reliance on domestic resources and skilled young Iranians.

He said developing electronic and cyber-warfare capabilities would be essential to maintaining what he described as active deterrence against increasingly sophisticated threats.

The senior commander also called for improved combat readiness among air-defence personnel and closer coordination between the air-defence force and other branches of Iran’s Armed Forces.

Meanwhile, Acting Defence Minister Brigadier General Majid Ibn Reza separately congratulated Elhami and other air-defence commanders and personnel on the occasion.

Ibn Reza also paid tribute to members of the Iranian Armed Forces who were killed while, according to him, defending the country’s security.

He said Iran’s defence industry has a responsibility to work alongside air-defence forces to turn their operational requirements into practical defensive capabilities.

“The experience of the recent war once again showed that air defense is one of the main pillars of the country’s defensive power and, at the same time, one of the most important arenas for demonstrating Iran’s scientific and technological capabilities,” he said.

The acting minister said the systems currently deployed by Iran’s air-defence forces have emerged from cooperation between battlefield requirements, the expertise of specialists and the country’s defence industry.

He stressed that the process must continue to evolve as new forms of threats emerge.

Ibn Reza said the defence industry would continue working with air-defence personnel to convert the strategic force’s requirements into technology and, ultimately, defensive capabilities.

He said Iran would rely on its young people and specialists to maintain preparedness for threats facing the country both now and in the future.

Source: Press TV