Iran concludes naval exercises

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TEHRAN, Jan. 2 (UPI) -- The Iranian Navy concluded its six-day military exercises in waters south of Iran, with a spokesman saying all objectives were achieved.

At the conclusion of the exercises Wednesday spokesman and Rear Adm. Amir Rastegari said naval forces practiced swift reaction drills, rapid personnel deployment by helicopter, missile launches and full utilization of communication systems and integrated command.

He added the mission of the exercises was to establish lasting security for the commercial ships in the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz, the Sea of Oman and the northern Indian Ocean.

On the last day of the drills, Iran's newest combat helicopter, the Toufan II was unveiled, the Iranian Press TV reported, noting it employs the country's latest achievements in electronics, optics and laser and armament capabilities.

Tuesday the Navy successfully test-fired coast-to-sea and surface-to-surface missiles, the Chinese news agency Xinhua said.