Iran starts modernizing military planes

The Iranian Air Force has begun repairing and modernizing all its military planes, including the American fighter F-14 Tomcat, said Iranian Air Force General Aziz Nasirzade. He noted that military equipment is being modernized with the help of local specialists with the use of national designs, Iran News reports, citing the Iranian agency FARS.

The general said that bombers are equipped with the updated versions of Qassed bombs, weighing 900 kilograms. In the future these bombs may be used by multi-purpose fighters.The Iranian Air Force tested Qassed bombs in September 2009. Qassed-1 and Qassed-2 bombs were tested in Persian Gulf and in the Gulf of Oman.

 Iran is planning to improve the tactical and technical characteristics of its F-14 fighters. Nasirzade said. He added that Iranian specialists had managed to increase their propulsion power. Plane radars were also modernized. Nasiradze believes that these upgrades can turn Iranian F-14 into new generation fighters. In the 1970s, Iran received 79 third generation F-14s.

In 2009, Iran started producing its own aviation engines. The Iranian military say that their scientists have accomplished the development of a plane with stealth technology. Besides this, Iran is producing Saeqeh and Azarakhsh fighters. The first Saeqeh squadron was formed at the end of February 2010.