TEHRAN – Amid rising tension between Tehran and regional players in theMiddle East, Iran unveiled on Tuesday its first homegrown advanced combatplane at a defence show.
According to Iranian media, the new jet named Kowsar was fully domesticmade, and it is capable of carrying various weapons. The combat plane willbe used for short aerial support missions, Tasnim news agency said.
Images circulating on state television showed President Hassan Rouhanisitting in the cockpit of the “Kowsar” at the National Defence Industryexhibition.
With the latest avionics and multi-purpose radar, it is a fourth-generationfighter jet, which has already completed its successful test flight.
Iran’s Defence Minister Amir Hatami, on Saturday, made the firstannouncement about the “100-percent indigenously made,” adding that it willbe put on display for public next week.
He gave few details of the project, focusing instead on Iran’s efforts toupgrade its missile defences.
Hatami said the country’s defence programme was motivated by the threatsfrom Israel and the United States, apparently referring to US PresidentDonald Trump’s recent comment that all options are on the table for theIslamic republic.
Building an advanced fighter jet would boost the ability of Iran’s airforce, which has been limited to few old Russian combat planes or ageing USmodels.
In 2013, Iran unveiled a domestically built fighter jet, called Qaher 313,but some experts expressed doubts that it would not be useful.
Iran focused on developing a large domestic arms industry followinginternational sanctions which barred him from importing weapons from othercountries.