Iran Implies Collapse Of Deal To Buy Russia’s Su-35 Warplanes

[HAIDER]

If true then indeed very ominous:-"Vahedi's comments sparked speculation about dysfunction in the Russia-Iran partnership, including that Israel had successfully convinced Russia to postpone delivery of the advanced fighter jets to Iran."


Iran needs J20s just lkike Pakistan , so Iran and Pakistan should invest in increasing Chinese production of J20.

I think Iran should go for J10 and buy AL31n.

 

[HAIDER]

Iran refused Su-35 fighters from Russia, hinted at their production​

By Boyko Nikolov On Jul 21, 2023


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Iran’s deal to purchase the long-desired Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets from Russia has unexpectedly fallen through, a fact implicitly acknowledged by Iran’s defense minister.

Photo credit: Wikipedia

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When questioned about the status of the deal – initially claimed to be finalized last year – Mohammad-Reza Gharaei Ashtiani suggested a shift in strategy. His response implied Iran’s capacity to manufacture these high-performance fighters domestically.
In the past, Iranian authorities have repeatedly announced impending deals with Russia for the acquisition of Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets. Despite these claims, no tangible results have been seen.
Ashtiani, while hesitant to divulge details, stated: “We did agree on a purchase at one point, but we realized that we possess the capability to produce these [fighter jets] within our country.” However, he did not rule out the possibility of revisiting the purchase, stating that the authorities are “evaluating the situation” and could reconsider if necessary.
Interestingly, Iran announced in 2018 that it had commenced production of the Kowsar fighter, a locally designed aircraft for use in its air force. Some defense experts speculate that the Kowsar jet is a direct replica of the F-5, a model first produced in the United States during the 1960s.

Photo credit: Rosoboronexport
Various theories have surfaced regarding the reason behind the collapsed deal with Russia. Some suggest that Israel may have swayed Russia’s decision to withhold the advanced fighters from Iran. Additionally, the U.S. government has expressed unease over the deepening military ties between Russia and Iran, viewing it as a potential threat to regional stability.

Aviation enthusiast and author, Babak Taghvaee, proposes a more convincing theory. He argues that the significant hurdle lies in Russia’s unwillingness to share key technology for the production of Su-35 parts in Iran and to impart knowledge for domestic upkeep for the next 30 years.
Taghvaee quotes Brigadier General Hamid Vahedi, Commander of the Iranian Army’s Air Force, who relays that “the General Staff of the Armed Forces has, for the time being, resisted the acquisition of Su-35SE multirole fighter jets from Russia. This is due to Russia’s refusal to transfer production technology and provide Iran with the know-how for maintaining the aircraft domestically for the coming 30 years.”
On top of that, Taghvaee mentions that Russia is only willing to sell 25 Su-35Es, initially ordered by Egypt, without offering support in the form of proper maintenance, weapons, spare parts, and simulators.

Photo credit: Wikipedia
He further elaborates, “Based on the experience of selling and delivering Su-30SM fighter jets to Armenia, and the deceptive decision of the Russian government to prohibit Armenians from using them against Azerbaijan during the recent Karabakh war, it’s plausible that the unreliable Russians could repeat this action with the Iranian air force if they plan on using Su-35SEs in war.”
In September, Vahedi disclosed that purchasing Su-35s is on the Air Force’s radar, but there are no plans to acquire Sukhoi Su-30s. Both models evolved from the Soviet-origin twin-engine supermaneuverable fighter aircraft, Sukhoi Su-27. The Su-35 is a single-seat aircraft, while the Su-30 is a two-seater, multi-role fighter. Reportedly, the Army’s Air Force requires at least 64 aircraft, with 24 of these expected from Egypt’s order that remained undelivered due to US pressure on Cairo.

Iran has also shown interest in procuring other advanced military technologies from their controversial partner, such as the S-400 air-defense system, a mobile, surface-to-air missile system. Iran has provided hundreds of kamikaze drones to Russia, which have been employed to target Ukraine’s military and civilian infrastructure. Moscow denies any use of Iranian-built drones in Ukraine, even though many have been shot down and recovered there.
Iran’s air force possesses only a handful of strike aircraft: Russian jets, as well as old US models, acquired before the Iranian revolution of 1979. Instead, Iran has focused on developing a range of drones and missiles, seen as a threat by other regional countries, particularly Israel.

Photo credit: UAC
In a remarkable display of military prowess, the Israeli army demonstrated its advanced capabilities earlier this week. The Channel 14 news report detailed how Israel’s F-35 fighters impressively deployed bunker-busting bombs, specifically designed for the obliteration of fortified trenches. This powerful action was broadcast as a strong signal to Iran.
Adding to the significance of this event, the report further highlighted that Israel has become only the second country in the entire world, following the United States, to successfully test this advanced bombing capability. This not only marks a milestone in Israel’s military achievements but also underscores its strategic position on the global stage.

 

[Shams313]

Does iran have any domestic equivalent??

 

[khansaheeb]

j-20 is China only and remain China only

only matter of time before Pakistan gets it.

 

[drmeson]

Does iran have any domestic equivalent??

Other than superpowers, no country can produce a heavy 4+ generation fighter.

The current capacity of Iranian domestic production is limited to F-5F "Kowsar". Plane has 4.0 generation avionics with modern PESA+ECM+ 4 computers + FBW but it lacks the power to cover the large area of Iran. It is very good for localized CAPS or creating petrol groups with UCAVS.

We need some 100 fighters with the following:

Low RCS (= or ~1 m2)
AESA radar (~200 KM Tracking range for 3 m2 target)
Longest possible ARH BVR (~200 KM)
HMD slaved All-Aspect HOBS
Double Duplex Datalink to exchange detect/track info with strong IADS of Iran
Builtin ECM/ECCM package.

Practically a MIG-29M/SMT or MIG-35.

 

[raptor22]

I can remember that Malaysian DOD once complained about facing maintenance problems and lack of spare parts of its own Russian jet fighters and it was back in 2018 with no sanctions ... now under sanctions and the fact that Russia was importing avionic and electrical parts from EU France and the fact that their focus now is their war in Ukraine therefore it hard to see that they would be able to deliver what we need and then help us with maintenance and spare parts ...
As it said no one would scratch you back expect your finger so enough is enough allocate the money and make whatever you can and then work on it ...

Bushehr took 2 decades and every time they asked for more money ..
S300 took a decade with complaining to ICJ ...
Fighter jets have turned to a silly joke ...
Iranian islands ...
Making Turkey hub of energy ...
Voting in favor of UNSCRs against Iran ...
Turning blind eyes on isreal in Syria ..

Lack of balance in our foreign relations and policies has caused all these ...

 

[Piet]

I can remember that Malaysian DOD once complained about facing maintenance problems and lack of spare parts of its own Russian jet fighters and it was back in 2018 with no sanctions ... now under sanctions and the fact that Russia was importing avionic and electrical parts from EU France and the fact that their focus now is their war in Ukraine therefore it hard to see that they would be able to deliver what we need and then help us with maintenance and spare parts ...
As it said no one would scratch you back expect your finger so enough is enough allocate the money and make whatever you can and then work on it ...

Bushehr took 2 decades and every time they asked for more money ..
S300 took a decade with complaining to ICJ ...
Fighter jets have turned to a silly joke ...
Iranian islands ...
Making Turkey hub of energy ...
Voting in favor of UNSCRs against Iran ...
Turning blind eyes on isreal in Syria ..

Lack of balance in our foreign relations and policies has caused all these ...

Very valid point especially pertaining to maintenance and spares.

When the 'chips are down' do the IAIAF really have to worry about some of its premier fighters being grounded because of just the above-written?

F-14's cannot be kept flying indefinitely either.

P

 

[mulj]

russians are afraid of reverse engineering and that is all, what Iran requested in deal would make it easy for them, although their demands were reasonable for normal circumstances , whole business between Iran and Russia is out of the necessity and overlapping countries geopolitical interests which brings usual slippery slopes and outsmarting.

 

[Piet]

russians are afraid of reverse engineering and that is all, what Iran requested in deal would make it easy for them, although their demands were reasonable for normal circumstances , whole business between Iran and Russia is out of the necessity and overlapping countries geopolitical interests which brings usual slippery slopes and outsmarting.

At last able to post again...

Thx.

P

 

[Falcon29]

Middle east or south west asia is Iran backyard, neither Russia or CHina belongs to it. Iran must be the strongest and reign there forever. Iran must do that with or without Russia or China support, whatever.

Lol, it isn't. The influence it has is because US/Israeli and Russian intervention in the region.

Iran and Russia are allies in the ME and it was Iran who was first on the scene in Syria and it was Iran who got Russia involved in the war. Russia is only concerned about the fight spilling into an Iran-Israel war because it complicates the issue and plays into the hands of the west. The only sphere Iran competes with Russia is for oil and gas sales to China.

Iran did nothing. US led coalition and Russia intervened in Syria and Iraq. Hezbollah was first to scene in Syria before Iran, lol. Russia is not making such decision because of you. The qassem solemiane stories is just folklore.

Russia not gonna give iranian regime tech transfer for fighter jets as Iranian regime is dealing with USA all over region. It bought weapons from Israel during war with Iraq. It cooperated with US in Afghanistan. And it did major cooperation with US in Iraq. Russia does not trust Iran. Iran is selfish and untrustworthy country which looking to stoke tensions in region against Muslims for sake of America and Israel.

 

[OldTwilight]

This was a valid possibility from the start ...