Eurasia Press & News
We do not need to import parts of F14 from the US, rather we are now striving to manufacture the 5th generation of fighter jets domestically, Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Mostafa Mohammad Najjar said here on Monday. Najjar said that his country has started industrial manufacture of its indigenous Azarakhsh fighter jet which conducted a successful test flight yesterday.
“This fighter has entered the phase of industrial manufacturing and a considerable number of this kind of fighter jet will join the air fleet of the armed forces in the near future, the General said on Monday.
He also said that a second generation of Azarakhsh will start flights in the near future.
Najjar said that the defense ministry has also started designing the 5th generation of the advanced fighter jets currently used by the world armies, adding that the ministry is presently repairing different types of military and civilian aircrafts.
Azarakhsh is Iran’s second fighter jet after Saeqeh (thunderbolt).
The General further stressed that Iran has gained giant successes in the aerospace industry, including reaching self-sufficiency in missile production, adding that even the raw material for the manufacture of missiles is supplied from inside the country.
He also pointed to the achievements of his ministry, including the manufacture of surface-to-surface missiles with a range of 2,000 kilometers, naval, anti-air, cruise, anti-missile and anti-armor missiles.
The General said that the country has reached self-sufficiency in the manufacture of several types of transportation and battle-field helicopters and attack, video recording and multipurpose drones.
He also referred to other products of the defense ministry, including manufacture of various types of weapons with different calibers, artillery weapons and arsenals, PT boats, rocket-launcher PT boast, submarines, mines, naval cannons, tanks, tools and equipments for defense against chemical warfare, various types of naval and missile radars, optic items and missile electronic equipment.
The minister also said that research budget of his ministry has recently been increased in an effort to counter enemies’ sanctions on Iran.
Elsewhere, the defense minister said that Iran is not at all worried about the strengthening of the defense capabilities of Muslim and friendly countries.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran is not at all worried about the strengthening of the defense capabilities of the Muslim, friendly and brotherly states and believes that their increased defense capabilities would boost the defense capabilities of the Muslim world,” he added.
“Those regimes, which still dream of a land stretched from the Nile to the Euphrates, should feel concerned about this issue,” the General reminded.
He also said, “By adopting such measures, the US intends to save its giant weapon manufacturing companies from the danger of bankruptcy and overshadow its aids to the Zionist regime of Israel.”
The General mentioned that the US seeks to change the Israeli-Arab crisis into an Iranian-Arab crisis, “and that’s why it sells weapons to certain regional countries.”
The official viewed Iran’s defensive ties with the Persian Gulf littoral states as good, but meantime stressed that the said relations have the potentials for further expansion.
He also voiced Iran’s preparedness to export defensive products and even defensive technologies to the Muslim countries of the region.
He reminded that the Persian Gulf can be protected only through the establishment of security by regional states.
