Iran could get J-10s from China

The China-made J-10 multi-role fighter jet is a suitable choice for Iran if the Middle East power decides to upgrade its aging military aircraft fleet, Chinese aviation experts said.

"Once the sanctions against Iran are completely lifted, the country will definitely renovate its civilian and military aircraft fleets. The J-10 is a good option for the Iranians because it can fulfill all operations they want to conduct," said Wang Ya'nan, deputy editor-in-chief of Aerospace Knowledge magazine.

"In addition to air combat, our J-10 is also capable of performing air-to-surface strikes and anti-ship operations," he added. "Moreover, the Iranians must have known that China, among other major weapon exporters, is the most reliable supplier when it comes to arms deals. China is also very flexible in payment issues."

Furthermore, with the development of China's next-generation fighter jet progressing well, it is highly possible that the Chinese aviation industry will transfer technologies used on the J-10 to buyers, Wang said.

Wang's remarks came after two weeks of widespread speculation in foreign media that China and Iran are discussing a deal for 150 J-10 fighter jets.

J-10 A

The speculation began on July 30, as the Israeli military intelligence website DEBKA file quoted unidentified military and intelligence sources as reporting that "Beijing has agreed to sell (Teheran) 150 of these sophisticated jets."

The J-10 is a third-generation, multi-role fighter aircraft designed and produced by Aviation Industry Corp of China. Military experts regard it as one of the most advanced fighter jets in the world and consider it comparable to the latest version of the United States' F-16 Fighting Falcon.

The first-generation version of the J-10, the J-10A, entered service with the People'sLiberation Army air force in 2004. In 2009, the plane was declassified. By February last year, the PLA air force and the PLA navy's aviation units had at least 260 J-10As, according to British think tank International Institute for Strategic Studies.

China has also developed an upgraded version of the aircraft, the J-10B, delivery of which has begun to the PLA air force, Chinese media reported.

In September 2013, Ma Zhiping, former general manager of China National Aero-Technology Import and Export Corp, the trade wing of Aviation Industry Corp of China, said several countries in Asia, Africa and South America had expressed interest in the J-10and that his company was expecting a huge market for the plane.

Iran Reveals Details of New Cruise Missile-Capable Submarine

The new Be'sat submarine will have a displacement of 1,300 tons and will be capable of launching cruise missiles as well as torpedos.

Iran is building a new submarine, called Be'sat, which will be capable of firing cruise missiles and laying underwater mines, the country's Fars News Agency reported. "The Navy's new subsurface vessel will be ready and launched soon to enhance the Army's power," Iranian Army Commander Major General Ataollah Salehi told reporters in December.

Be'sat submarine

The submarine will be 60 meters long and have a displacement of over 1,300 tons. It will have six bays for torpedoes and marine cruise missiles.
The Be'sat, will be Iran's biggest domestically made submarine. The Iranian Navy also operates three Russian Kilo-class submarines with a displacement of 2,325 tons and six torpedo tubes but no cruise missile capacity.

Iran Developed Its Own Prototype of US RQ-170 Drone

A senior Iranian legislator underlined the Iranian Armed Forces' capabilities to hunt down alien Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), and said the Iranian type of the US drone which was tracked and hunted down in Iran late in 2011 will have its first flight in the near future.

Iran announced on December 4, 2011 that its defense forces had downed a US RQ-170 aircraft through a sophisticated cyber attack. The drone was the first such loss by the US. US officials have described the loss of the aircraft in Iran as a setback and a fatal blow to the stealth drone program.

"The brave personnel of the Armed Forces hunted down the drone with their knowledge and science and the Americans protested immediately and called for the return of the UAV," Chairman of the parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Alaeddin Boroujerdi said.

Iran has downed several US drones so far and Boroujerdi did not mention which one he meant, but explained, "The reverse engineering started immediately (by the Iranian experts after hunting down the US UAV) and the Iranian type of the US drone will fly in Iran's Aerospace Organization soon.

Iran RQ-170 Drone Prototype 

Boroujerdi's remarks most likely refer to RQ-170. The drone has special coatings and a batwing shape designed to help it penetrate other nations' air defenses undetected. The existence of the aircraft, which is made by Lockheed Martin, has been known since 2009, when a model was photographed at the main US airfield in Kandahar, Afghanistan.

The unmanned surveillance plane lost by the United States in Iran was a stealth aircraft being used for secret missions by the CIA, US officials admitted in December. The aircraft is among the highly sensitive surveillance platform in the CIA's fleet that was shaped and designed to evade enemy defenses.

Russia Confirms Sale OF Advanced S-300 Anti-Aircraft Missile System To Iran

Russia has agreed to supply Iran with advanced S-300 anti-aircraft missiles and build an additional nuclear reactor at the Bushehr nuclear site. The Russian Kommersant daily reported on Wednesday, amid increased international pressure against the two countries' mutual ally Syria.

A "source close to the Kremlin" told the Kommersant that the agreements would be discussed during Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to Tehran on Friday. Putin is set to meet with high-ranking Iranian officials, including President Hassan Rohani.
During a debate Wednesday in the Russian parliament of a draft resolution on Syria, Alexei Pushkov, the Kremlin-connected chief of the foreign affairs committee in the lower house of parliament, told lawmakers that Russia could expand arms sales to Iran and revise the terms of U.S.* military transit to Afghanistan if Washington launches a strike on Syria.

Pushkov said such action now would be premature as Russia and the U.S. are working to find a diplomatic solution to the crisis, but he warned that if the "party of war" prevails in Washington, Russia should consider those moves.

"If the U.S. takes the path of exacerbating the situation and forgoing diplomacy for the sake of a military scenario, such measures would seem absolutely justified to me," Pushkov said.

He also said that Moscow hopes that the U.S. will back Russia's proposal for Syria to put its chemical weapons under international control for their subsequent dismantling.

Qaher 313 Home-Made Fighter Jet to Protect Iranian Airspace

Qaher 313

On February 2, Iran unveiled an advanced home-made aircraft, named Qaher 313, in a ceremony attended by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. 

Addressing a group of Iranian soldiers on Tuesday, Deputy Defense Minister General Majid Bokayee pointed to the confused remarks made by the US military analysts about the features and specifications of the aircraft, and said that enemies claimed the aircraft is just a paper model but later they said that it is an aircraft designed by the Islamic Republic for anti-chopper missions. 

"That was the Americans' analysis, but we bravely declare that Qaher, (designed and developed) at a cost of $2 to 3 million, is a Basiji (volunteer) aircraft to protect the Persian Gulf," Bokayee noted. 

In February, the aircraft's project manager told FNA that Qaher 313 has a "unique" structure and will be armed with home-made weapons and equipments in the future, adding that it enjoys such capabilities which will stun the enemies in battlefield. 

"The new aircraft has a unique face in terms of shape and structure and its design is unique in the world," Managing-Director of Iran's Aviation Industries Company Hassan Parvaneh said at the time. 

He added that the aircraft's broken wing design has gifted it the ability to fly in different low, mid and high altitudes. 

"Of course, the specific capability of Qaher is its capability of flying at low altitudes and that is a capability seen in no other similar aircraft." 

Russia Offers Iran New Replacement for S-300

Moscow made a new attempt to dodge a $4-billion lawsuit from Tehran over a failed deal to supply S-300 missile systems by offering another type of air defense system to Iran, Kommersant daily said Saturday.

The new offer on the table is Antei-2500, aka S-300VM, or SA-23 Gladiator in NATO nomenclature, the newspaper said, citing unnamed sources in the Russian arms trade industry. The missile defense system can simultaneously destroy up to 24 aircraft within the range a range of 200 kilometers or intercept up to 16 ballistic missiles.

The deal can be formalized during the visit of outgoing Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to Moscow on July 1, an unnamed Iranian diplomat told Kommersant.

Iran was initially interested in the S-300 missile complexes, signing in 2007 a contract worth $800 million for five missile defense systems of this make.

But the deal was scrapped in 2010 by then-Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, who was unilaterally expanding on sanctions against Iran imposed by the UN Security Council.

Iran to Start Mass-Production of New Air Defense System Bavar 373

The production line of the new system, Herz (Protector) 9, will be inaugurated in a special ceremony attended by the country's Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi tomorrow. 

Last Tuesday, the Iranian defense ministry announced that Iran plans to unveil five new defensive achievements in coming days. 

Also, a senior Iranian military commander announced last month that the country would unveil a home-made long-range air-defense missile system similar to the Russian S-300 in the near future. 

"This system, dubbed as Bavar (belief) 373, is being developed in the country and will be officially unveiled soon," Lieutenant Commander of the Iranian Army's Self-Sufficiency Jihad Rear Admiral Farhad Amiri said. 

He noted that Bavar-373 missile defense system has reached the production stage and its subsystems have been already tested. 

Earlier this year, senior military officials announced that Iran was testing the subsystems of Bavar 373 missile defense system. 

Chinese Lijian (Sharp-Sword) Stealth Drone Prepares For Test Flight

Lijian (sharp_sword) chinese stealth drone

A newly designed Chinese stealth drone is ready for its first flight test after completing its taxi test last December at an unknown airfield in the southeastern province of Jiangxi, reports Duowei News, an outlet operated by overseas Chinese.

Designed jointly by the Hongdu Aviation Industry Group and Shenyang Aviation Corporation, the Lijian ("sharp sword") is China's first stealth drone and the third in the world after the X-47 designed by Northrop Grumman of the United States and France's Dassault nEUROn. The Lijian program was launched in 2009 and the drone's ground test was conducted on Dec. 13 last year.

China Aviation News reports that the Lijian is now ready for flight testing. The drone is set to be used by the PLA Air Force and Navy Air Force for combat missions, and also for tracking and reconnaissance purposes.

Iran Unveils Its Own Stealth Fighter Jet-Qaher F-313

Iran's Qaher F-313 Stealth  Fighter Jet 

Iran's Qaher F-313 Stealth  Fighter Jet 

New Stuxnet Like Malware Detected:Global Cyber Warfare

A new cyber espionage program associated to the notorious Flame and Gauss malware has been detected by Russia's Kaspersky Lab. The anti-virus giant’s chief warns that global cyber warfare is in “full swing” and will probably accelerate in 2013.

The virus, named miniFlame, and as well-known as SPE, has by now infected computers Systems in Iran, Lebanon, France, the United States and Lithuania. It was exposed in July 2012 and is defined as “a small and highly flexible malicious program designed to steal data and control infected systems during targeted cyber espionage operations,” Kaspersky Lab said in a statement.

The malware was initially identified as an appendage of Flame – the program used for targeted cyber espionage in the Middle East and acknowledged to be part of mutual US-Israeli efforts to damage Iran’s nuclear program.

But later, Kaspersky Lab analysts learned that miniFlame is an “interoperable tool that could be used as an independent malicious program, or concurrently as a plug-in for both the Flame and Gauss malware.”

The analysis also exposed new evidence of cooperation between the creators of Flame and Gauss, as both viruses can use miniFlame for their operations.

Iran Readying To Unveil Major Breakthrough In Missile Industry

Meshkat Cruise Missile 

Iranian defense ministry officials announced on Sunday that they plan to unveil a highly advanced cruise missile seen as a huge advancement in Iran's missile capability as its range is several times more than the country's most advanced cruise products.


"God willing, Meshkat (Lantern) Cruise Missile with a range of 2,000km will be unveiled in the near future," Deputy Defense Minister and head of the ministry's Aerospace Organization General Mehdi Farahi told FNA on Sunday.

"Meshkat Cruise Missile can be fired from land, air and sea," Farahi added.

He further pointed to the wide array of Iranian cruise missiles, saying Tehran's products include Zafar (Triumph), Nasr (Victory), Nour (Light), Qader (Mighty) and Ghadir.

He mentioned that the country plans to increase the number of its cruise collection to 14.

According to the General, Ra'd (Thunderbolt) and Meshkat are the latest products of Iran's cruise missile industry.

The new cruise missile, Meshkat, is widely believed to go on display during the military parades marking the Week of Sacred Defense in September.

As far as range is concerned, Iran's formerly best cruise missile could travel a distance not more than 300km, meaning that the country has stretched the range of its cruise missiles almost 7 times.

Iran has made giant progress in arms production, specially in area of missile technology, in the last decade.

Last September, Iran displayed its (then) latest cruise missile production Qader (Mighty) to the public during the military parades marking the Week of Sacred Defense.

Former Mossad DG: Iran Should Fear Next 12 Weeks

 Efraim Halevy

Former Mossad chief's statement comes as Netanyahu warns time for diplomacy running out amid speculation an attack may take place before US elections.

Former Mossad chief Efraim Halevy added to speculation of an impending Israeli military strike against Iran's nuclear program in a statement published by The New York Times Wednesday.

"If I were an Iranian, I would be very fearful of the next 12 weeks," Halevy said.

Speculation in the media and in political circles about the timing of a potential attack on Iran has focused in recent weeks on whether it needs to happen over the summer, before the US elections, or if it can wait until afterward, maybe as far away as next spring.

Earlier in the week, both Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak warned that time was running out for sanctions and diplomacy to have an effect on Iran's nuclear ambitions. Both men made the statements during a visit to Israel by US Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta.

“We clearly have something to lose by this stretched time [during] which sanctions and diplomacy takes place, because the Iranians are moving forward, not just in enrichment,” Barak said.

Speaking before meeting Panetta in his office, Netanyahu said the constant rhetoric about all options being on the table regarding Iran has not moved the ayatollahs.

Iran Goes OFFline To Dodge Cyber Attacks

Iran Flag

Reza Taghipour, the country's telecommunications minister, said the step was being taken because sensitive intelligence was vulnerable on the worldwide web, which he said was untrustworthy because it was controlled by "one or two" countries hostile to Iran.

"The establishment of the national intelligence network will create a situation where the precious intelligence of the country won't be accessible to these powers," Mr Taghipour told a conference on Sunday at Tehran's Amir Kabir University.

He described the move as the first phase of a project to replace the global internet with a domestic intranet system scheduled to be completed within 18 months.

Opponents have previously denounced the plan as a means of stamping out western influence on the internet while further tightening already stringent online surveillance of political activists and regime critics.

U.S Navy Has Great Difficulty Tracking Iranian Mini Submarines

 Iranian Mini Submarines

U.S. Navy Commander Christopher Harmer as saying that the United States has great difficulty tracking Iranian mini-submarines. Iranian mini-submarines are “a huge problem for us,” said Harmer, who served as the director of Future Operations for the U.S. Navy Fifth Fleet in Bahrain from 2008 to 2009.


 Any submarine weighing less than 500 tons is generally regarded as a mini-submarine. “They are a threat to us because they can disperse them throughout the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Sea, and it’s extremely difficult for us to track them,” he stated, adding that as a result, they can lay “in wait to execute an ambush.”


 The U.S. Navy is more accustomed to tracking large, Soviet-era nuclear-class submarines, something Iran knows well, Harmer added. He stated, “Looking for small subs in shallow water is much more difficult, because the acoustics are so much more difficult -- smaller makes less noise.” As a result, he added, the Iranian military “has prioritized these mini-subs and (has) gone into overdrive building them.” 

Military Bases In The Middle East Within Range OF Iran Missiles

Iranian Missiles

A senior Iranian military official says all military bases in the Middle East are within the range of the Iranian-designed and -built missiles.

Deputy Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Brigadier General Hossein Salami said on Friday that Iranian surface-to-surface, surface-to-air and long-range ballistic missiles can reach any military bases in the region, and hit the desired targets with high precision.

Pakistan's enemies will be considered as Enemy of Iran: Ahmadinejad

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has expressed complete solidarity with the Government and people of Pakistan and stated "Enemy of Pakistan will be considered as Enemy of Iran". "Iran share a long history of friendship with Pakistan and enjoy common history, Religious and cultural values Iranian people will stand to support Pakistan in all times to come," he said in meeting with Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan Federal Minster for Regulation & Services along with Religious Scholar Khanam Tayyaba Bokhari who called on him in Tehran. The President discussed wide range of issues with the Minister that included Economic, Social/cultural/Relegious and Reproductive Health.

 The Meeting lasted over an hour in which President directed the cultural Minister for Preparing an offical document for supporting Iqbal cultural centre Sailkot. The President directed Iranian Health Minister to foster further relation in the field of Pharmaceutical production and making use of each other technologies, and in the area of Reproductive health. The President emphasized that women play a significant role in societal/political and economic development he advised to enhance the women to women contact in order to strengthen ties between two countries. The President appreciated Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan Minister Regulation & Services and Khanam Tayyaba bokhari for playing their role in bringing in the Relationship of two countries closer at state and individual level. The President directed Iranian Red cresent to work closer with Pakistan Red Cresent on the issue of women emancipation and post flood rehab in part of Sind and Punjab.

Iran Equips IRGC With 'Qiyam-1' Ballistic Missiles

The Iranian Defense Ministry started supplying large numbers of 'Qiyam (Rise) 1' high-precision ballistic missiles to the Aerospace Force of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) on Sunday.

The new missiles were supplied to the IRGC in a ceremony attended by Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi and Commander of the IRGC Aerospace Force Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh.

Addressing the ceremony, Vahidi said that mass-production of Qiyam 1 missiles indicates Tehran's self-sufficiency in producing different types of missiles.

Referring to the detailed features and specifications of the newly mass-produced ballistic missile, Vahidi said that Qiyam 1 is the country's first finless missile.

The minister added that the very special design of the missile makes its detection by radars and air defense systems difficult.

He said that omission of the fins from the design has increased the velocity of the missile and shortened the launch time.

Iran had earlier announced that it plans to unveil a number of newly-manufactured home-made ballistic missiles late in May.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Vahidi had said a number of new defense products, "including some vessels, ballistic missiles and new ammunitions will come into use on the occasion of Khorramshahr Liberation Anniversary (1982)".

Vahidi explained that the newly produced ballistic missiles are the product of hard work and extensive research by Iranian experts, adding that they will be delivered to the Iranian Armed Forces in an official ceremony in the near future.

Pakistan To Support Iran If Israel Attacks, Says Wajid

Britain Wajid Shamsul Hassan

Pakistan’s High Commissioner to Britain Wajid Shamsul Hassan said that Pakistan would be left with no option but to support Iran if Israel attacks it.

In an interview Hassan expressed his concerns over the United States’ “Drone Wars” that have taken the lives of hundreds of innocent civilians in Pakistan.

“We know the damage — destroyed schools, communities, hospitals. They are civilians — children, women, families. Our losses are enormous,” the newspaper quoted him as saying.

“I think time is running out until the Pakistan government can take a stand. They will have to at some stage take punitive actions to stop them. They have got means to take such actions to defend their own frontier and territories,” Hasan further added.

Iran Starts Mass-Production Of Anti Ship Zafar Cruise Missile

Irani Anti Ship Zafar Cruise Missile

Irani Anti Ship Zafar Cruise Missile

Irani Anti Ship Zafar Cruise Missile

Irani Anti Ship Zafar Cruise Missile

 Iran on Saturday inaugurated the production line of a newly unveiled naval cruise missile, called Zafar (Triumph).

The production line was inaugurated by Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi in a ceremony at the Defense Ministry' Aerospace Industries Organization on the occasion of the Ten-Day Dawn ceremonies, celebrating the anniversary of the victory of the Islamic Revolution back in 1979.

The ceremony was also attended by Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Naval Force Brigadier General Ali Fadavi.

During the ceremony, the first cargo of Zafar missiles was delivered to the IRGC.

Speaking to reporters, Vahid said that "Zafar is a short-range, anti-ship, radar guided missile capable of hitting and destroying small and medium-sized targets with high precision".

He added that the missile can be mounted onto light and speed boats, enjoys a high capability in anti-electronic warfare and is highly destructive.

Iran has made giant progress in arms production, specially in area of missile technology, in the last decade.

Iran's latest cruise missile production, Qader (Mighty), was displayed to the public during the military parades marking the Week of Sacred Defense in September.

Leon Panetta Believes Israel May Strike Iran This Spring

United States Defense Secretary Leon Panetta believes there is a growing possibility Israel will attack Iran as early as April to stop Tehran from building a nuclear bomb, according to reports. 

 The Washington Post first reported that Panetta was concerned about the increased likelihood Israel would launch an attack over the next few months. CNN said it confirmed the report, citing a senior
Obama administration official, who declined to be identified. 

"Panetta believes there is a strong likelihood that Israel will strike Iran in April, May or June - before Iran enters what Israelis described as a 'zone of immunity' to commence building a nuclear bomb," Washington Post columnist David Ignatius wrote.

"Very soon, the Israelis fear, the Iranians will have stored enough enriched uranium in deep underground facilities to make a weapon - and only the United States could then stop them militarily," Ignatius wrote.

Ignatius did not cite a source. He was writing from Brussels where Panetta was attending a NATO defense ministers' meeting.