Tehran, Iran— Claiming that Iran has received numerous “requests” from different countries for purchase of its defense equipment and cooperation, Brigadier General Afshin Khajeh Fard has hailed the achievements in producing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and manned drones with fixed and moving wings.
The brigadier general, the head of the Iran Aviation Industries Organization (IAIO), made the claim in a speech at AJA University of Command and Staff on Monday.
The general said: “At first, we tried to purchase [military] equipment, but we did not succeed due to Western sanctions. Today, however, we have reached a [level of] capability to receive numerous requests from different countries for purchase [of our defense equipment] and cooperation.”
Although he regretted the lack of trust among Iranians for their own manufacturing, he still felt that Iran can produce high quality equipment. “Unfortunately, the trust in domestic products is still low in our society, but the numerous requests for the purchase of equipment, as well as unmanned and manned drones, indicate the high status of this capability. Therefore, we should increase the domestic power and upgrade our beliefs.”
The general also noted that the IAIO has managed to keep the country’s helicopter, commercial and fighter fleets ready for use despite wholesale sanctions targeting the defense sector.
“Many countries meet their [military] needs by purchasing the most advanced equipment and fighter jets, but we face extensive restrictions in procuring the equipment due to sanctions and pressure,” he added.
“As a result, we moved towards overhauling, maintaining and reconstructing our equipment that was damaged during the [1980s Iraqi imposed] war. After the reconstruction of all damaged choppers, we focused on producing indigenous helicopters and fighter jets.”
