Iran unveiled the new "Kowsar" fighter jet Thursday, asserting that the aircraft will strengthen Iran's military might and deter the US. The aircraft resembles the F-5F Tiger, which had its first flight in the 1970s. Iran unveiled a new fighter jet Tuesday, claiming that the "state-of-the-art" aircraft strengthens the country's ability to stand up to the US. "We should make ourselves ready to fight against the military powers who want to take over our territory and our resources," Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said in a televised address, arguing that Iran's military might deter the US from attacking, Reuters reported. —Tasnim News Agency (@Tasnimnews_EN) August 21, 2018 "Why does the US not attack us? Because of our power, because it knows the consequences," Rouhani explained. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei made similar statements last week. Tensions between Washington and Tehran have been on the rise since President Donald Trump decided to withdraw the US from the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), more commonly known as the Iran nuclear deal. Iran's Tasnim News Agency claims the new aircraft is a "100 percent indigenously-made" fourth-generation fighter with "advanced avionics," according to AFP. The plane has reportedly already been through testing and is expected to fly for the first time Wednesday in honor of National Defense Industry Day. Facing international sanctions, Iran has been forced to develop a domestic arms industry, as it can no longer reliably import platforms from overseas. "We have learned in the [Iran-Iraq] war that we cannot rely on anyone but ourselves. Our resources are limited and we are committed to establishing security at a minimum cost," Iranian Defense Minister Amir Hatami said Saturday. The unveiling of the aircraft was foreshadowed over the weekend by the defense minister, who stressed that "our top priority has been development of our missile program," CNBC reported. He added, "We are in a good position in this field, but we need to develop it." Some observers have suggested that the new "Kowsar" fighter resembles the US-made F-5F Tiger, which made its first flight in the 1970s. With only a few dozen suitable aircraft, mainly older Russian models and American F-5s acquired before the 1979 Iranian Revolution, the Iranian Air Force has limited strike capabilities. The new "Kowsar" fighter jet is expected to carry out short aerial support missions.<doc-sep>Fast News Iranian President Hassan Rouhani says the US does not dare to attack Iran and his American counterpart Donald Trump has lost the trust even of US allies as he unveils a new indigenously made fighter jet. Iran's President Hassan Rouhani sits in the cockpit of Iran's new "Kowsar" domestic fighter jet. (AFP) Iran said on Tuesday it would boost its military might and also showcased a new fighter jet amid increased tensions with the United States and with regional rivals over conflicts in the Middle East. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said the Islamic Republic's military prowess was what deterred Washington from attacking it, adding that under President Donald Trump the United States was becoming isolated even from its own allies. "We should make ourselves ready to fight against the military powers who want to take over our territory and our resources," Rouhani said in a speech broadcast live on state television ahead of Wednesday's National Defence Industry Day. "Why does the United States not attack us? Because of our power, because it knows the consequences," Rouhani added. Last week, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei also said the United States would avoid any military confrontation with Tehran because of Iranian military might. Khamenei has rejected Trump's offer of unconditional talks on a new nuclear deal, prompting Trump to tell Reuters in an interview on Monday. "If they want to meet, that's fine, and if they don't want to meet, I couldn't care less," he said. Relations between Washington and Tehran worsened further after Trump in May took the United States out of an international deal that curbed Tehran's nuclear programme in return for an easing of economic sanctions. Trump branded that 2015 deal as flawed because it did not address Iran's missile programme or involvement in conflicts in Syria and Yemen, and he has reimposed US economic sanctions. A handout picture released by Iran's Defence Ministry on August 21, 2018, shows the new "Kowsar" domestic fighter jet. (AFP) Loss of trust in US Rouhani compared the sanctions on Iran with the US trade war with China and its new tariffs on some imports from Turkey and European countries. "It's not only us who do not trust America. Today even Europe and China do not trust them; even American allies like Canada have lost their trust," he said. Earlier on Tuesday Rouhani attended a ceremony, broadcast by state TV, that included the fly-past of a new fighter jet called Kowsar, which Iran says is "100-percent indigenously made" and able to carry various weapons and to be used for short aerial support missions. However, some military experts believe the fighter jet is a carbon copy of an F-5 first produced in the United States in the 1960s. "The airframe appears to be an externally unaltered, two-seat F-5 tiger. Whilst it may be domestically manufactured, it’s an entirely foreign airframe," said Justin Bronk, a research fellow specialising in combat airpower and technology in the Military Sciences team at the Royal United Services Institute. A handout picture released by Iran's Defence Ministry on August 21, 2018, shows the "Kowsar" domestic fighter jet. (AFP) "It’s a very small lightweight fighter with very small engines which limits the thrust output, a very low internal fuel capacity which limits range, and a very small nose which limits the size and power of radar that you can fit," he told Reuters. "All of those constraints are not going to be changed by updating the internal components. While you might put a modern radar, or modern avionics - by Iranian standards - in there, it is still going to be subject to all limitations of the F-5 airframe." Iran’s air force has been limited to perhaps a few dozen strike aircraft using either Russian or ageing US models acquired before the 1979 Iranian revolution. Iran has sent weapons and thousands of soldiers to Syria to help prop up regime leader Bashar al Assad's forces, but had to rely on Russia for aerial support due to its own lack of a powerful air force. The Islamic Republic launched in 2013 what it said was a new, domestically built fighter jet, called Qaher 313, but some experts expressed doubts about the viability of the aircraft at the time. Source: Reuters<doc-sep>
Bolton: U.S."s highest priority is Iran never getting nuclear weapons, August 20, 2018 (GPO) LONDON - Iran said on Tuesday it would boost its military might and also unveiled a new fighter jet amid increased tensions with the United States and with regional rivals over conflicts in the Middle East.Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said the Islamic Republic's military prowess was what deterred Washington from attacking it, adding that under President Donald Trump the United States was becoming isolated even from its own allies. "We should make ourselves ready to fight against the military powers who want to take over our territory and our resources," Rouhani said in a speech broadcast live on state television ahead of Wednesday's National Defense Industry Day. "Why does the United States not attack us? Because of our power, because it knows the consequences," Rouhani added.Last week, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei also said the United States would avoid any military confrontation with Tehran because of Iranian military might.Khamenei rejected Trump's offer of unconditional talks on a new nuclear deal, prompting Trump to tell Reuters in an interview on Monday: "If they want to meet, that's fine, and if they don't want to meet, I couldn't care less. "Relations between Washington and Tehran worsened further after Trump in May took the United States out of an international deal that curbed Tehran's nuclear program in return for an easing of economic sanctions.Trump branded that 2015 deal as flawed because it did not address Iran's missile program or involvement in conflicts in Syria and Yemen, and has reimposed U.S. economic sanctions.LOSS OF TRUST IN USRouhani compared the sanctions on Iran with the U.S. trade war with China and its new tariffs on some imports from Turkey and European countries. "It's not only us who do not trust America. Today even Europe and China do not trust them; even American allies like Canada have lost their trust," he said.Earlier on Tuesday Rouhani attended a ceremony, broadcast by state TV, that included the fly-past of a new Iranian-made fighter jet called Kowsar, which is capable of carrying various weapons, and will be used for short aerial support missions.Iran has sent weapons and thousands of soldiers to Syria to help prop up President Bashar al-Assad's forces, but had to rely on Russia for aerial support due to its own lack of a powerful air force.Iran’s air force has been limited to perhaps a few dozen strike aircraft using either Russian or aging U.S. models acquired before the 1979 Iranian revolution.Iran unveiled in 2013 what it said was a new, domestically built fighter jet, called Qaher 313 , but some experts expressed doubts about the viability of the aircraft at the time.Iran has developed a large domestic arms industry in the face of international sanctions and embargoes that have barred it from importing many weapons.