A senior Iranian commander says the Army Ground Forces plan to test-fire new indigenously-manufactured missile systems in an upcoming military exercise due to be held by the end of the current Iranian year (March 20, 2013).

“New systems manufactured by [Iran’s] Defense Industries [Organization] have been delivered to the Army’s Ground Forces and these systems will be tested in the upcoming [missile] drills,” Commander of the Iranian Army Ground Forces Brigadier General Ahmad-Reza Pourdastan said on Sunday.

The Iranian commander said that the maneuver is aimed at maintaining the preparedness and enhancing the defensive capabilities of the forces’ rocket-launching and missile units.

    Commenting on the ongoing three-day military exercises in the country’s southwestern Khuzestan Province, Pourdastan said all objectives were achieved during the drill.

Iran’s Army Ground Forces launched the drill, codenamed Khatam al-Anbia, on Saturday, with the participation of tanks, artillery and mechanized units.

Over the past few years, Iran has held several military drills to enhance the defense capabilities of its armed forces and to test modern military tactics and equipment.

The Islamic Republic has repeatedly assured other nations, especially its neighbors, that its military might poses no threat to other countries, stating that its defense doctrine is based on deterrence.