Iran test-fires Hawk missile system

TEHRAN - Iran "successfully" test-fired the Hawk air defense system on Tuesday, semi-official Fars news agency reported.

The Hawk missile system was tested at a drone during a military drill in the east of the country and hit the target, said the report.

The state-run IRIB TV also showed a footage in which the missiles mounted on a lorry and was fired at an aircraft.

Commander of Iranian Khatam al-Anbia Air Defense Base Farzad Esmaili told reporters Tuesday on the sidelines of the drill that a large number of Iranian air defense missiles will be tested "today and tomorrow", according to Fars.

The message sent by the drill is "peace" for the regional and friendly countries and "a strong slap" at the enemies, Esmaili was quoted as saying.

The Iranian Army and the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) launched Monday a large-scale joint air defense drill in the eastern regions of the country. In the maneuver code-named "Modafe' an-e Aseman-e Velayat 4", or "The Defenders of the Sky of Guardianship 4", modern tactics will be employed and tested to confront the new threats by the enemies.

Press TV reported Monday that radar air defense and missile systems, as well as tapping, artillery and surveillance systems would be employed during the first stage of the seven-day maneuver.