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World Air Force News - Iran
 
 
Iran will manufacture a new fourth generation fighter aircraft.
 

Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi announced on Monday, February 20, 2012, that the country is upgrading its warplanes and manufacturing new generations of fighter jets. Speaking to reporters about the fourth generation of Iranian fighter jets, Vahidi stated, "These planes are divided into the two categories of +1 and +2 depending on the upgrade works done on them."

     
Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi announced on Monday, February 20, 2012, that the country is upgrading its warplanes and manufacturing new generations of fighter jets. Speaking to reporters about the fourth generation of Iranian fighter jets, Vahidi stated, "These planes are divided into the two categories of +1 and +2 depending on the upgrade works done on them."
The Saeqeh is the last fighter aircraft manufactured by the Iranian Defence Industry
     

"We intend to create better generations of our fighters through upgrading them," the minister stated.

"As regards the areas of aerospace and missile technology, we are seen among the world's major powers," he added.

In January, a senior Iranian Air Force commander announced that the country's defense industries has started research for manufacturing vertical climb aircraft with straight vertical flight.

"Studies are underway at the Defense Industries" for manufacturing this type of aircraft," Lieutenant Commander of the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF) for Coordination Brigadier General Aziz Nasirzadeh told reporters.

The Iranian Air Force tested its defense capabilities in massive air drills, dubbed as 'Fadaeeyan-e Harim-e Vellayat III', in Iran's Northwestern regions a few months ago.

During the exercises which started on September 6, the Iranian Air Force fighter jets practiced electronic war operations and Iran's two well-known home-made fighter jets, namely Saeqeh (Thunderbolt) and Azarakhsh (Lightening) staged successful missions and bombed the specified targets under full radio silence.

Saeqeh and Azarakhsh were among the several squadrons of the Iranian Air Force fighter jets which conducted night raids on fixed and mobile targets under complete radio silence.

Different plane equipments, ammunitions and tactics went under test in the four phases of the exercises codenamed 'Fadaeeyan-e Harim-e Vellayat III'.

An array of fighter jets, fighter bombers, cargo and transportation planes, including F-4, F-5, Sukhoi-24 (SU-24) fighter-bombers, Mig-29 and the logistic C-130 planes, were used in the exercises.