Iran started mass-producing locally designed Kowsar fighter jet, Iranian newspapers announced on November 3, 2018. The F-5-derived Kowsar aircraft was unveiled on August 28 in a ceremony  attended by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.

Iran's new Kowsar fighter jet production line
(Credit: Tasnim News Agency)

In a ceremony in the central city of Isfahan, Iran's Army Commander Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi and Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami inaugurated the production line of Kowsar at Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industries Company, a firm affiliated to the defense ministry’s Aviation Industries Organization.

“The manufacture of the all-Iranian Kowsar fighter jet in cooperation with the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF) is the culmination of the performance of the Iranian nation’s brave sons in the defense industry,” Brigadier General Hatami said.

“Despite the enemies’ sanctions, the IRIAF, addressing one of the most vital aviation needs of the country, has gained a new strategic achievement in the field of air combat as a gift to Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, the noble nation of the Islamic Iran and the Armed Forces,” he added.

Iran's Defence Ministry says its fourth generation 'Kowsar' (also known as Kosar) jet is capable of carrying “various weapons” systems with advanced avionic and fire control systems, and will be produced in single-seater and two-seater versions.