Iran will sign a contract with the Russian Federation to buy advanced Sukhoi-30 Flanker multi-role air superiority jet fighters for its air forces Iran's defense minister, according to AP, said on Wednesday. The website for Iran's ministry for defense quoted Gen. Hossein Dehghan who argued that Iran needs to "seriously focus on the air force and fighters. We are moving toward a contract [with the Russians]. We told them that we need to be involved in the production [of the jets] as well." While Iran has purchased MiG-29's from Russia in the 1990's acquiring a significant number of Su-30's could significantly overhaul the country's arsenal and become the most significant purchase for Tehran since it, under the last Shah of Iran, bought 79 Grumman F-14A Tomcat air superiority jet fighters from the United States. Many of which are still in service with the Iranian air force despite an almost four-decade-old arms embargo imposed on it by Washington following the 1979 revolution. This also comes as Iran is set to receive advanced Russian-made S-300 air defense missile systems from Moscow. Both these weapons systems will doubtlessly bolster the country's air defense capabilities.
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