Ten Grounded Sukhoi Fighter Jets Repaired

Aerospace engineers with the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps have managed to overhaul 10 SU-22 fighter jets that were grounded for nearly 28 years, said a senior  commander. Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh made the announcement on the sidelines of a ceremony attended by IRGC Chief Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari in Tehran on Wednesday to deliver the 10 Sukhoi Su-22 fighter jets to the IRGC’s Aerospace Unit, Tasnim News Agency reported. The Soviet-made jets have been equipped with advanced weaponry such as smart and cluster bombs, air-to-ground and air-to-air missiles as well as the capability to transfer data from drones flying miles away. Hajizadeh stressed that in the near future, air-to-ground cruise missiles with high accuracy and a range of 1,500 kilometers will be installed on the bombers. Domestic military experts and technicians have in recent years made great headway into manufacturing a broad range of indigenous equipment, making the armed forces self-reliant in the realm of weapons. Iran has often reassured other nations that its military might poses no threat to regional countries, saying that its military doctrine is based on deterrence.