Iran's deadly missiles were a feature in a video recently, and the arrival of advanced Su-35 jets is expected to bolster the air force. The Khordad-3 & Mersad air defense systems, were seen in a video emerging from an underground tunnel when it revealed its new underground base in south Hormozgan province.
Iran Touts Its Deadly Missiles
Sources compare the Khordad-3 or Sevom Khordad air defense system as similar to the Buk M2EK air defense, having a similar design but using three, not four missiles, reported Eurasian Times.
The system took out the American RQ-4 Global Hawk UAV in the Hormuz Strait in 2019, which proved that Iranian systems are affected, according to Airforce Technology.
One of the things hinted at by the video is the readying of Eagle 44 to house new Russian Sukhoi Su-35 Flankers, per Military Today. The content videos and photos are shapes of these Russian jets not in service yet. Iranian sources have made claims about getting them last January.
More clues to the possible integration of the Flankers are satellite pictures of the site with dummy aircraft. US outlets say that the Iranian Air Force will have them at this airbase, mentioned NYT.
Other Iranian outlets like IRNA reveal the place will be a Tactical Air Base (TAB) 8 of the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF) at Isfahan, cited Middle East Monitor.
Advanced flanker jets are drawing sharp reactions on impending deployment. One speculation is that Eagle 44 needs to have improvements added to the structure because tunnels should be larger to fit it. One more satellite photo suggests this possibility.
Chris Biggers told the NYT the Flanker dummies are used to estimate how big the tunnel should be.
Flankers Can Hound US, Israeli Efforts To Undermine Iran
An old fleet of mostly Cold War Era fighters like US F-4 Phantoms, F-14 Tomcats, and even the F-5s that were gotten in the 70s takes a lot of work to maintain. It's a significant improvement to 4.5 generation fighters that surpass the F-15 and F-16. But Soviet-origin MiG-29 Fulcrum and Su-24s, French F-1 Mirage, and Chinese F-7, which is Chinese-made MiG-21 are other planes in the fleet.
The IAF getting these modernized Flankers will increase its capabilities, making the Israelis think twice before attempting a strike.
The west claims Flankers will be unable to fight the Israeli F-35 Adirs stealth and sensor package. However, the Flanker has been updated to detect stealth planes and has weapons to shoo away these American jets. One example is the F-35 will not engage a more agile Su-35 that will be suicide.
One development is the Russian-origin 3D VHF AESA 1L119 NEBO SVU radar that can detect an F-35. This VHF band radar is a threat to the touted US aircraft.
Parts of the stealth jet, like the nose, and inlet nozzles, where the airframe and wings meet, allow the VHF radar to detect it. But more than these types of radars are needed to get a lock on such a target, but some accuracy is intended with a detection range of 152 kilometers.
Usually, the VHF radar will send the data to the Flanker's Irbis-E to find the F-35. Hints that Iran has deadly missiles with advanced Su-35 jets thrown into the mix, which the US and Israel see as a threat to its ability to attack at any time.
Related Article : Russia Reveals Su-35S Pilot Destroyed Many Targets in 800 Flights
