<p >Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps General Ali Shadmani has confirmed that his country has placed orders for Russian Su-35 fighter aircraft, following indications from multiple Iranian sources for over two years that such a deal had been made. The statement follows the signing of a comprehensive strategic partnership between Iran and Russia earlier in January. "Whenever necessary, we make military purchases to strengthen our air, land, and naval forces,” Shadmani stated, adding that domestically: “the production of military equipment has also accelerated… if the enemy acts foolishly, it will taste the bitter taste of being hit by our missiles, and none of its interests in the occupied territories will remain safe.” Although Iranian Deputy Defence Minister Mehdi Farahi&nbsp;<a href=" >confirmed</a>&nbsp;in November 2023 plans to receive&nbsp;<a href=" >Mi-28 attack helicopters</a>,&nbsp;<a href=" >Su-35 fighter aircraft</a>&nbsp;and Yak-130 fighter/trainers had been finalised, the signing of a contract was not confirmed. Personnel from Iran reportedly&nbsp;<a href=" >began training</a>&nbsp;for Su-35 operations in Russia in 2022, and in February the following year Iranian official sources published footage of a new very heavily<a href=" >&nbsp;fortified airbase named Eagle 44</a>&nbsp;which appears intended host the aircraft. The construction of new hangers constructed at Hamedan Air Base, which are far too large for the requirements of the Vietnam War era F-4 fighters currently based there, also indicates that the facility will also likely host Su-35s.&nbsp;</p><p ><img src=" title="Su-35 Configured For Export"></p><p >The Su-35 is the most capable fighter class in Russian service that equips multiple regiments, and is an enhanced derivative of the Soviet <a href=" Flanker</a>&nbsp;air superiority fighter. It is thought to have gained far more&nbsp;<a href=" to air kills&nbsp;</a>than any other post Cold War fighter class in the world, primarily due to the central role it has played in operations in Ukraine which has included participation in &nbsp;<a href=" air battles</a>. Such clashes have frequently resulted in&nbsp;<a href=" victories</a>&nbsp;for Su-35 units, while no losses to Ukrainian aircraft are known to have occurred. The fighter’s avionics and airframe materials are nevertheless considered less sophisticated either than those of Russia’s newer Su-57 fighter, of which just one full regiment is deployed, or than modern Chinese and American fighters such as the J-16 and F-15EX. The Su-35 has the potential to revolutionise Iran’s air defence capabilities, while Iranian orders could provide a major boost to the program and allow production of the aircraft to continue into the 2030s. Unconfirmed reports have indicated that Iran is planning to procure up to 64 Su-35s for its fleet, with over two dozen export configured fighters for the country thought to have already been built. Russia is expected to be able to deliver fighters at rates of more than 14 per year. Procurement is expected to strengthen interoperability between Russia and Iran, and could pave the way for more joint exercises.</p><p ><img src=" title="Su-35 Launches R-37M Air to Air Missile"></p><p >Notable features of the Su-35 include the integration of three dimensional thrust vectoring engines for very high manoeuvrability at low speeds, and a much longer range and larger radar size than any other fighter deployed in the Middle East. The fighter carries &nbsp;<a href=" >three complementary radars</a>, including two L-band radars in its wing roots optimised for detecting stealth aircraft and launching electronic attacks. It is also compatible with the R-37M air to air missile, which has a range of up to 400 kilometres when fired from high speeds and altitudes, a Mach 6 speed and a large 61 kilogram warhead, allowing it to pose a major threat to support aircraft such as tankers, and AEW&amp;Cs, as well as to bombers. The Su-35 was previously expected to see a production run of 200 aircraft, half of which would go to foreign clients, although delays to the procurement of the Su-57 and expansion of the Russian Air Force since 2022 has led to significantly more domestic procurements than planned. The aircraft’s export profile has been less remarkable, with countries considering purchases having consistently been dissuaded from proceeding due to threats of <a href=" target="_blank">Western economic sanctions</a>, while Egypt and Indonesia both <a href=" target="_blank">suspended their orders</a> due to such threats. China is currently the Su-35’s only foreign operator, although it procured only 24 aircraft which are valued for providing dissimilar combat training and for the technology transfers that accompanied the procurement deal.</p>