This is coolbert:
The Iranian having purchased a multitude of Russian Il-78 tanker refueling aircraft. A purchase of magnitude way beyond any perceived need so it might seem
"Iran buys 100 Russian refueling aircraft for its air force to reach any point in the Mid East"
NOW WE KNOW WHY!
"Iran orders from China 150 J-10 fighter jets that incorporate Israeli technology"
"Iran is about to conclude a transaction with China for the purchase of the Chengdu J-10 multirole jet fighter, known in the West as the Vigorous Dragon . . . from DEBKAfile military and intelligence sources. Beijing has agreed to sell Tehran 150 of these sophisticated jets."
"While the Chinese J-10 is comparable to the US F-16, our sources report that it is virtually a replica of the Lavi, the super-fighter developed by Israel’s aerospace industry in the second half of the 80s."
"Iran has additionally weighing the purchase in Moscow of 250 highly-advanced Sukhoi-Su-30MK1 twinjet multirole air superiority fighters, known in the West as Flanker-H."
. . . .
"The scale of Iran’s multibillion acquisitions from China and Russia – 550 warplanes in all so far - indicates that Tehran’s top spending priority upon receipt of the funds released by the removal of sanctions, is to be a spanking new air force." [150 + 250 + 100 = 500]
That five hundred fifty [?] warplanes to include those combat aircraft combined as purchased [if and when the purchases a done deal and the delivery made] to include J-10, Sukhoi and Il-78 MIDAS tankers.
Iranian moneybags now bursting and full of cash [to be made even more so by the sale of oil I might think] and that Iranian military starting with the Air Force [AF] on a spending spree that effort to modernize and standardize their AF on Russian and Chinese designs.
coolbert.
While the J-10 benefitted from Israel's Lavi experience, it is in not a Lavi "replica". The J-10 is a much larger aircraft built around a larger Russian engine. It also lacks the composite technology that went into the Lavi wing, as well as the Lavi's radar and avionics suite.
ReplyDeleteThis is not the first time that it was rumored that Iran would be buying the J-10. A similar story was making the rounds in 2007:
http://sputniknews.com/analysis/20071023/85174001.html
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/iran-to-buy-24-jet-fighters-from-china-1.231785
No sales came out of these earlier rumors - so it's difficult to know what we should make out of this. The ayatollahs have a habit of exaggerating their arms buys.
Historically, Iran's ayatollahs have severely distrusted their Air Force, seeing it as a potential source for counter-revolutionary coup attempts. They have devoted far more resources into their missile forces (under the control of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard), than in their Air Force.