PLA Daily: Top 10 military exercises of world in 2012(7)

　G. "Great Prophet-7" military exercise of Iran

Exercise time: July 2 to 4

Participating country: Iran

Exercise location: Iran

Exercise contents: Launching missiles of various types of models including the "Meteor", the "Persian Gulf", the "Lightning" and the "winner"

Concern index: ★★★☆

Reasons for concern: Iran's missile strike capability is constantly improving

Military strength committed: Missiles including the "Meteor" air-to-air missile and the "Persian Gulf" anti-ship ballistic missile, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and the Islamic Revolutionary Guards of Iran

Expert's comments: Iran wanted to show its determination to defend national interests by holding the "Great Prophet-7" military exercise when the European Union formally implemented oil-embargo against Iran. Iran wanted to tell the western countries that Iran has the military capability to safeguard its own country by missile tests to demonstrate its increasing missile strike capability. (By Yu Shujie, with the Department of World Military Research of the PLA Academy of Military Sciences)