Iran doesn't even have jackets and helmets for all its forces
The claim may be real for ammunition but not armored and flak jackets
what?
It’s not like Iran has not mastered the incredibly hard technology of flak jackets. It’s that defense companies work on a CONTRACT basis.
Russia signed contracts and pays in CASH = Iranian defense company produces. Simple as that.
Just because Iranian military is either broke or unwilling to pay for body armour doesn’t mean Iranian defense industry doesn’t Have the capability to produce them on notice for a buyer (wether domestic or foreign).
The Iranian defense industry is many orders bigger than the Israeli defense industry.
There are plenty of Iranian “ideas” and weapons sitting on the shelf waiting for someone to award a contract.
Case in point, look at how many Iranian MRAPs in Iraq vs Iran itself.
Exporting matériel has nothing to do with the same matériel being made available internally.
Exactly.
Iranian defense companies don’t make a product unless awarded a contract. That is how it works around the world. That is why so many people were Suprised that American companies cannot produce more than X amount of shells, stingers, etc per month for Ukraine.
People seem to think Arms companies just produce weapons 24/7 and store them until buyers show up. What company operates under that concept? Great way to go out of business.
That is another reason why Iran keeps certain low grade production tasks (ie tank modernization) on going at all times, to keep staff and engineers doing some work to prevent a total shutdown of a production line.
Russia and America learned that the hard way of how long it takes to restart shuttered production lines again.
