Iran has commenced mass production of its indigenous fighter jet, Saeqeh (Thunderbolt in Farsi).
The twin-seater fighter jet has already gone through mass production, a spokesman for the Islamic Republic of Iran Airforce (IRIAF) announced on Wednesday.
"The IRIAF has built squadrons of Saeqeh and they are going through their evolutionary process", brigadier general Hossein Chitforoush, the spokesperson was quoted as saying by PRESSTV. The fighter is continuously conducting reconnaissance missions across Iran, he added.
The new fighter jet will bring Iran to the level of self-sufficiency in the field, he added. The IRIAF will upgrade the fighter in case the needs of the armed forces change in future. The fighter 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.
Saeqeh was unveiled as a prototype in 2004 and later became operational in 2006. The jet is Iran’s second domestically-developed fighter with many calling it the Iranian F-18.