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.

 

[Gripen9]

Ah, so the bog standard SU-35 has no AESA?

Ethiopians paid $$ for a non AESA equipped aircraft in this day and age. Could have gotten J10 or even JF17 with AESA.

 

[Gripen9]

Gotta be Putin holding back right? The Indians and Iranians would love this bird.

Unfortunately Putin is still surrounded by Zionist oligarghs who will allow Russia to export anything of substance to Iran.

 

[MH.Yang]

And more advanced than Iran!!! Makes you wonder why Iran can't sort it's act out ?

I still think that the J10CE is a much better platform than the Su-35S with regards to radars, EW and missiles etc. Su35S has the advantage on range, load characteristics of course.

The TPLF does not have an air force, while the J-10C is an air superiority fighter. If Ethiopia buys J-10CE, it won't be of much use. If Ethiopia cannot buy F-15 or J-16, then Su-35 is a good choice.

 

[MH.Yang]

The Core Problem with Buying Russian or Chinese Jets: The issue isn't that Russia refuses to sell them; rather, the limited number of imported jets Iran could acquire cannot provide a strong deterrent against the combined might of the USAF and NATO (6,000 fighter jets, AWACS, and aerial tankers).
The Alternative Proposal: Instead of spending money on these platforms, the budget should be used to mass-produce and replace indigenous hypersonic gliding warheads that Iran's armed forces already possess and can easily reproduce.
The Risk of Reliance: In an all-out war against a massive coalition, relying on imported military hardware from unreliable sources (like Russia or China, whose political stances can suddenly shift) is a major vulnerability. In a survival war, limited budgets must be spent on weapons that can be produced domestically and at will.

And btw, congrats to Ethiopian air force. This thread is dedicated to them not IRIAF

A very wise remark. Although I am Chinese, I also believe that Iran cannot rely on China and Russia. Iran must have its own capability to produce weapons