Iran finalizes purchase of Russian military aircraft
The Iranian Air Force is upgrading its arsenal with Russian-made fighter jets, helicopters, and training aircraft
Iran has finalized arrangements to purchase Russian-made fighter jets and attack helicopters, Deputy Defense Minister Brigadier General Mahdi Farahi revealed to Tasnim News Agency on 28 November.
Farahi says the plans for the purchase and process of arrival of Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets, Mil Mi-28 attack helicopters, and Yak-130 jet trainers to join the combat units of the Iranian Armed Forces have been signed and finalized.
“In some areas, we are among the top countries; in others, we are on the path to maturity. In this way, in addition to the development of endogenous capabilities, we must also use shortcuts to complete the defense capability, and one of these areas is the field of air technology,” Farahi said in the interview with Tasnim.
“We have good capabilities in the field of helicopters; that's why we are the best in quantity in the region, but the qualitative improvement of helicopters is on the agenda,” Farahi added.
Talks for acquiring Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets have been ongoing since late last year as part of joint military cooperation efforts between Tehran and the Kremlin.
Despite decades-long sanctions against Iran, the nation is still a major military power in West Asia and has over half a million active personnel.
Defense, trade, and banking ties between Iran and Russia have been growing over recent years despite western sanctions imposed on the two nations.
The central banks of both nations signed an interbank transfer deal earlier this year, allowing 52 Iranian banks to connect and transfer with 106 Russian banks.
Iran is also expected to join BRICS at the start of 2024, a group in which Russia is a key organizer.
Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi said at the 15th annual BRICS summit that the bloc expansion is “a new step towards establishing justice, ethics, and sustainable peace in the world.”
Iran has not made any significant purchases to its fighter aircraft arsenal in recent years besides purchasing a few Russian MiG-29 Fulcrum fighters in the 1990s.