Military Times:

The Islamic Republic has concluded a massive air defense drill showcasing select surface-to-air missiles (SAMs), launchers, radars, and command-and-control equipment. While analysts and policymakers have long focused on Tehran’s offensive capabilities, what enables the regime to strike abroad with confidence is the perception of security at home, a perception abetted in part by evolving air and missile defense aptitudes.

The recent drill — codenamed Defenders of the Velayat’s Skies-99, with “Velayat” being a reference to Iran’s Supreme Leader and “99” being the abbreviated Iranian calendar year — is part of a regular series of joint drills by the air defense branches of Iran’s dual military: the Artesh and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). In recent years, Tehran has prioritized the readiness and integration of its air defense assets through such drills. The lethality of these forces was on full display when Tehran shot down an American drone over international waters in June 2019, and accidentally downed a Ukrainian airliner in January 2020…

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