Iranian Air Force receives overhauled MiG-29 fighter jet and new Nasr missiles

a
World Defense & Security News - Iran
 
 
Iranian Air Force receives overhauled MiG-29 fighter jet and new Nasr missiles
 
Technicians and experts of the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF) successfully overhauled a MiG-29 fighter aircraft that had been grounded for five years, the Iranian newspaper Tasnim said on Feb. 8, 2016. The Iranian defense ministry also delivered its home-made and high-precision air-launched cruise missile, ‘Nasr', to the IRIAF on Tuesday Feb. 9, 2016.
     
Iranian Air Force receives overhauled MiG 29 fighter jet and new Nasr missiles 640 001A IRIAF MiG-29 fighter jet
(Credit: Babak Taghvaee)
     
It took technicians at Shahid Fakouri Air Base in Iran’s northwestern city of Tabriz some 17,000 man-hours to overhaul the aircraft. The military airplane made successful test flights after the overhaul and returned to service. In August 2015, a senior Iranian Air Force commander had announced that the country attained self-sufficiency in overhauling military aircraft despite the sanctions imposed by the western countries. Before, the overhaul of military planes in Iran was carried out by foreign military attachés. "But today Iran is able to overhaul military aircraft thanks to reliance on the capabilities of the country’s committed engineers and technicians," Tasnim said.

The Soviet Union delivered MiG-29 and MiG-29UB trainers during 1990-1991 period. Almost 36 MiG-29A/U/UB were operational as of December 2015.
     
Iranian Air Force receives overhauled MiG 29 fighter jet and new Nasr missiles 640 002An Iran-made Nasr-1 anti-ship missile
(Credit: Fars)
     
"The Nasr missile is designed to attack and destroy specific targets," Defense Minister Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan said, addressing a ceremony to deliver the missiles to the IRIAF today, Feb. 9, 2016.

Noting that Nasr will increase the operational and tactical capabilities of the IRIAF, he said the air-lauched missile can be mounted and fired from fighter jets in midair. The Nasr, or Nasr-1 missile is an anti-ship missile. It has an operational range of 35 km and can reach a speed of Mach 0.8 to 09. Its warhead is made of 150 kg time-delayed semi armour-piercing high-explosive.