Iran on Saturday tested its home-made mid-range Shalamcheh missiles fired from its new air defense system, Mersad, which is capable of destroying different types of modern fighter jets and drones.

Iran on Saturday tested its home-made mid-range Shalamcheh missiles fired from its new air defense system, Mersad, which is capable of destroying different types of modern fighter jets and drones FNA reported.

The missiles were fired on the third day of the ongoing Mohammad Rasoulallah (PBUH) military exercises in the Southern and Southeastern parts of the country with the participation of a large number of units and troops of the Iranian Army.

The home-made Shalamcheh missiles hit three drones with very small radar cross section after the stealth aircraft were discovered and detected by the Mersad missile shield's radars.

"Although Shalamcheh missile is similar to Hag missile in appearance, it has special advantages compared with the Hag," Commander of Khatam ol-Anbia Air Defense Base Brigadier General Farzad Esmayeeli told FNA.

"The drone type targeted in this mission had very small cross sections and the operating systems were not aware of its flight either," he added.

Shalamcheh is a Mach 3 mid-range missile that can also be used as a short-range air defense system.

Iran announced in May the successful test-firing of the country’s new air defense system, Mersad, with a capability of destroying different modern fighter jets and drones.

"Mersad is a mid-altitude missile defense system which enjoys more and better capabilities in intercepting targets, electronic warfare and also its radar covers a wider and farther areas compared with its foreign rivals and it has been built completely by Iranian experts," Esmayeeli told reporters on the sidelines of a ceremony to test-fire the missile shield.

Different units of the Iranian Army's Ground Force, Navy, Air Force and Air Defense started six days of massive joint military drills along the country's Southern and Southeastern coasts on Thursday.

The military exercises codenamed Mohammad Rasoulallah (PBUH) cover an area of 2.2 million square kilometers from the East of the Strait of Hormuz to the Southern parts of the Gulf of Aden.