From rust to rockets: The battle to modernise Iran’s legacy air force
Defence affairs analysis
After the war, Iran began replacing its outdated Western weapons by actively seeking advanced arms from Eastern suppliers. Although Russia still plays a significant role, reports indicate that Russia has significantly delayed Su-35 deliveries to Iran.
The deal for two dozen Russian Su-35s, announced in 2023, has yet to see a single aircraft delivered, with some reportedly diverted to Algeria. This highlights Russia’s declining reliability as a supplier, partly due to its ongoing war in Ukraine and its reluctance to upset other regional partners. Iranian officials, speaking anonymously to Reuters, expressed “frustration with Moscow’s perceived inaction,” feeling “let down by both Russia and China, despite repeated calls for support.” This has prompted Iran to shift its focus more strongly towards Beijing.
The recent conflict between India and Pakistan, where Chinese-made fighter jets, primarily the J-10CE, and ground-to-air missiles demonstrated significant effectiveness against French-made Rafale jets, serves as a powerful testament to China’s growing military-industrial prowess. Douglas Barrie, an air combat expert at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, noted “the likely first combat use of the Chinese Chengdu J-10CE in service with the Pakistan Air Force, equipped with the PL-15 (CH-AA-10 Abaddon) medium-to-long range air-to-air missile.” In this conflict, Pakistan’s J-10CEs, armed with Chinese PL-15 missiles, reportedly downed four Indian Rafale fighters without any losses, a victory that significantly boosted the Chinese defence industry’s reputation.
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