Ethiopia receives 12 Russian Su-35 jets, plans S-400 acquisition

[muhammed45]

Given that we have see F-5 knock offs, F4 Phantoms, Mig29's all operating over Tehran very recently in the exercise, does that not suggest that Iran itself see's a need for an air force and that air force is now at the point where it needs to be replenished ??

We have seen attempts like the "IAIO Qaher-313" ... which clearly show that Iranian jet technology is not at the point it can ever create a local platform. Engines are hard, new airframe design is hard and EW/Electronics even more so..

That’s a very valid observation regarding the recent drills over Tehran. Those legacy platforms (F-5s, F-4s, MiG-29s) do show that Iran still sees a functional need for an air force—primarily for point defense and airspace patrol. However, the fact that these aging airframes are still flying doesn't necessarily mean the air force is where it needs to be; rather, it reflects a continuous effort to keep a minimum viable deterrent alive under heavy sanctions.

That being said, Iran's air force requires new fighters strictly for point defense, but over-investing heavily in a conventional air force could risk bankrupting Iran's sanctioned economy.

From what I hear from domestic sources, the Ministry of Defense has instead chosen to invest heavily in targeting European bases—which are either operated by the US or provide logistical support for the US Air Force— esp German Ramstein base and has effectively issued direct warnings regarding them. This appears to be a much more pragmatic path. With numerous adversaries, a limited budget, and a sanctioned economy, there simply is no room left to squander resources on "shiny items".

Too many off-topic, i expect a thread-ban as usual lol. Spare me bro, tag me in Iran -USA war thread.