Su-35 heavy-weight with dual engine and PESA vs single-engine medium-weight AESA aircraft.
As for Kowsar, If you guys are happy with it, good for you, but when I talk of light-weight aircraft, I don't meant LIFT platform but rather a 4.5 Gen aircraft with composites, single-engine fully digital fly by wire, AESA radar along with good EW suite/net-centric capability.
You do realize we were under sanctions to purchase fighter jets? Stop talking nonsense. Do you seriously think that the Iranian administration that is fighting wars on 4 different soils is stupid enough not to purchase fighter jets even with an IMF-recorded GDP of 1.1 trillion USD (highest in the Islamic world) ? we did not purchase fighter jets just because we could not. When we can we will and knowing IRIAF that chose F-16A (never delivered), F-4E/D and F-14A when others were flying Sabre-jets and Mig-19, we can be sure they would not bring anything less than Su-35S to Iranian soil that too with TOT.
Kowsar is a technology demonstrator that proved that yes we inside Iran can produce a jet from scratch (with a new body, our own turbojet) with a 4.0 generation combat/avionics suite. Read my post above, I made its comparison with Brazilian F-5EM, you will be surprised. Arm it fully and it can fight on par with any other 4.0 generation fighter jet in the air. Maybe Kowsar-II will be carrying an AESA radar-like KLJ-7A if using the already demonstrated re-designed composite nosecone from Saeghe's research. It already carries KLJ-6F coming from IAMI and CATIC (China) cooperation. I am interested in the next generation of Kowsar because IRIAF is not adopting Kowsar-I very enthusiastically, they are waiting for an even more improved version. More improved Kowsar will be a machine to rely upon.
Of course, engine is an issue along with some other things, and that is why I suggested in my previous post to JOINTLY produce an aircraft, something like we have done with China with JF-17. You can secure those parts which can't be domestically produced yet and keep yourself equipped with latest/advanced technologies in the meantime. If you want to do it all alone, Good Luck!
Secondly, no country gives us anything for political reasons because we are an oil-producing sanctioned nation that has been playing politics on the international stage for decades and still winning against foes regionally. Had we been political poodles or proxy banana republics we would be flying shiny toys from Russia, the US, China, and France, and who not. But we did not so nobody gives us anything. Our missile program, UCAVs, SLVs, and Air defense is thickly indigenous for the very same reason.
JF-17/FC-1 is a 100 % Chinese plane (distantly originating from an abandoned Mikayon-33 design), not even a single bolt in it comes from any other country other than Chinese companies linked to CATIC/AVIC, the same company we started our F-5E/F production program with some 16 years ago. I can literally list its systems and the Chinese companies that produce them starting from KLJ-7 of CETC. It's a Chinese machine that got TOT'ed out. Iran does not fit into this equation.
What I opined is keeping in view the budget restraints too of IRIAF. Despite CM/BMs, Airpower is essential in any conflict since last century. There is no alternative to it and with Iran's enemies having/soon to induct latest variants of aircraft like Typhoons, Rafales, F-16s,F-15s, I don't think you people can ignore such threats.
Unfortunately, I observe too much arrogance from many of you guys which doesn't help you in anything at all. I will take my leave. Best of Luck to IRIAF!
Budget restraints on IRIAF = Will of Iranian decision-makers. Our government does not have any shortage of money for its own doctrines. Find Iran and other regional countries.
So, IRIAF has a different problem that many here would not want to accept. It's political and I will give you a keyword called "Noujeh coup" mentality, in case you want to read.
And no IRIAF is not the deal-breaker in Iranian Defence doctrine. With our strong missile power (2-3 staged solid MRBM, Warhead separating MaRVs with CEP of less than 10 m, Skip Glide vehicles, long Range cruise missiles from Land, Air, Sea, undersea) and UCAVs (low RCS stealth wing and wide-bodied MALEs), Air defense (Read about Bavar-373, Talash, etc systems) can wreak havoc against any regional FOE. Newly formed IRIAF will be a bonus in this scheme but it is not stopping us from anything. In a decade, Air warfare will enter the unmanned arena and we are already multifold strong in UCAV R&D. So, if we get some 120 x Su-35S or J-10C then it will be amazing to compliment F-14AM, Mig-29, F-4E/D, Kowsar (Future) but if not then its not like we are defense less.
