Iran's Air Force wants to become the next of the Sukhoi Su-35 Flanker-E advanced jet. The organization's commander, Brigadier General Hamid Vahedi, confirmed that there is an intention to purchase the aircraft from Russia.
“This issue is on the agenda and we look forward to getting these 4++ generation fighters in the future,” said Vahedi in an interview with Borna news agency on Sunday (04). The General also said that Iran is discussing the purchase of the Su-35s, as the country is no longer interested in the two-seat Su-30s.
Despite the purchase intention, the commander of the Air Force of the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRIAF) emphasized that the final decision on the purchase of the Su-35 rests with the Army and the Armed Forces Headquarters.
The IRIAF has a fleet of mostly obsolete fighter jets. The most advanced jets in the country are the MiG-29 Fulcrum and the F-14 Tomcat. With the possible arrival of Su-35s, Iran would become an even more serious threat in the region, especially for Israel, which plans attacks against Iranian nuclear facilities.
Although the Su-35 is an inferior aircraft to Israel's stealth F-35, the Russian fighter is still a huge technological leap compared to models of the Iran's current fleet.
If the deal goes ahead, it shouldn't be long before the IRIAF takes delivery of its new Su-35s. It is possible that the planes are the same 24 Su-35SE (export version) manufactured for Egypt.
The purchase, signed in 2019, was canceled by Cairo even with the planes ready, due to pressure from the United States through threats of sanctions by CAATSA (Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act). In March, a top US General said that the Egypt could receive F-15 Eagle fighters.
Sources allege that the purchase of the Su-35s could be part of a $10 billion defense deal between Tehran and Moscow, which includes a military satellite and two batteries of S-400 anti-aircraft systems.
The Su-35S is the most modern variant of the so-called “Flanker Family”, which began with the Sukhoi Su-27 in the 1970s. It is a 4.5 Generation fighter, equipped with a pair of Saturn AL-41F1S turbofan engines with movable nozzles (thrust vectored), making it super maneuverable.
The fighter also has 12 hard points to carry various weapons such as air-to-air, air-to-ground and anti-radar missiles, guided bombs, rockets and others, in addition to carrying a 30mm GSh-1-30 cannon, with 150 rounds of ammunition. Its two main sensors are the ive electronically scanned array (PESA) radar IRBIS-E and the IRST (Infrared Search and Track) OLS-35, the latter being the target of analysis by the US military.
With information EurasianTimes, Tehran Times
