Iran to produce new generation of fighter jets, destroyers

Eslami added that “the capabilities, agility and systems installed on Velayat destroyer” would be more advanced than those of Jamaran.

The Iranian Defense Ministry has announced plans for producing a new generation of Saeqeh fighter jets and heavy destroyers in line with the country’s defensive doctrine.

Deputy Head of the Industry and Research Institute of the Iranian Defense Ministry, Mohammad Eslami said on Sunday that the indigenous Velayat destroyer would be launched by the end of the year.
Eslami said producing heavy destroyers with the capability of carrying helicopters were on Defense Ministry’s agenda.
The Iranian Navy launched its first domestically-manufactured destroyer, Jamaran, in the waters of the Persian Gulf in February 2010.

The 1,420-ton destroyer is equipped with modern radars and electronic warfare capabilities. It has a top speed of up to 30 knots and has a helipad. It also features highly advanced anti-aircraft, anti-surface and anti-subsurface systems. The vessel has also been equipped with torpedoes and naval cannons.

IRGC Chopper Crashes in Northwestern Iran

TEHRAN (FNA)- A military chopper operating for the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) crash landed in Iran's Northwestern border region of Sardasht, the IRGC announced in a statement on Saturday.

According to the statement, the chopper operated for the IRGC's Hamzeh Seyed ol-Shohada Base and was on a mission over the region at the time of crash this morning.

Israeli strike on Iran would end Jewish state – Iran’s top brass

If Israel goes from threats to military actions, “it is Israel who will be destroyed,” says a high-ranking Iranian general. This comes as a fresh twist in the war of words that has engrossed Israel and Iran in recent months.
­"If the Zionist regime takes any actions against Iran, it would result in the end of its labors," Brigadier General Mostafa Izadi, deputy chief of staff of Iran's armed forces, told the Fars news agency.
Israel cannot harm Iran in the slightest, assured the top military official.
"If they act logically, such threats amount to a psychological war, but if they want to act illogically, it is they who will be destroyed," he added.
The message is a response to Israel’s renewed calls for tougher sanctions against the Islamic Republic. As Iran sat down to another round of nuclear talks with world powers last week, Israel issued more calls threatening Iran with military action. Tel Aviv believed Tehran did not take the threat of war seriously.
“The Iranians think this is just a warning. That people are not serious enough,” Israeli President Shimon Peres said in an interview, as the talks kicked off in Moscow.
“If the Iranians understand seriously that this [military action] is an option, maybe we shall not need it. If they think this is a bluff, then it may lead to a war,” he added.
Israel and its Western allies suspect that Tehran is enriching uranium in a bid to secretly create nuclear warheads, though no evidence for such a claim has been presented and most Western experts say otherwise. Tel Aviv has also repeatedly said that it will bomb Iranian nuclear facilities before allowing it to build nukes. Iran insists that it needs enriched uranium for civilian uses.
The Moscow negotiations wrapped up with no breakthrough.
Western powers again demanded that Tehran scale down its nuclear work: to shut down the Fordo underground uranium enrichment facility and ship any stockpile out of the country. In return, Iran was offered enough fuel to meet the country’s medical needs, assistance in nuclear security and lift a ban on spare parts for Iran’s civilian planes.
Iran slammed the proposed deal for having too many demands while offering little in return. Tehran wanted to see relief from strangling economic sanctions, imposed by the EU and US, and an official acknowledgement of its right to enrich uranium before they considered scaling down nuclear activities.
A follow-up meeting is scheduled for July 3.

Iran adds three indigenous Saeqeh fighter jets to IRIAF fleet

Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi has announced the addition of three new indigenous Saeqeh (Thunderbolt) fighter jets to the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF) fleet.

“The building and delivery of new fighter jets will take place without delay and according to the preset schedule,” Vahidi said on Monday.

Vahid added that the fighter jets can play an important role in boosting Iran's defense prowess and safeguarding its sovereignty.

In April, IRIAF Deputy Commander for Coordination Brigadier General Aziz Nasirzadeh said the country plans to build a new generation of the Saeqeh fighter jets with enhanced radar systems and smart munitions.

The Iranian single-seat bomber has the ability to track down enemy aircraft, engage in combat, target locations on the ground, and carry a load of assorted weapons and ammunition.

Iran unveiled its first squadron of Saeqeh fighter-bombers in an air show in September 2010.

In the recent years, Iran has made great achievements in the defense sector and gained self-sufficiency in essential military hardware and defense systems.

Iran has repeatedly assured other nations, especially regional neighbors, that its military might poses no threat to other countries, insisting that its defense doctrine is merely based on deterrence.