[ColonelCassad] Iran, after the failures of its air defense system during the war with the US and Israel, promptly buys 40 Chinese 4th generation J-10C fighters at once.
| J-10Cs for oil. Next comes the fun of trying to get them delivered. How long does it take to build that many, and will it be the Mullahs who take possession in the end, or their successors? |
These aircraft showed excellent performance in combat (in combination with Chinese long-range air-to-air missiles PL-15) during the last Indo-Pakistani war, when they outperformed the French Rafales. Successes on the battlefield immediately increased interest in the arms trade market for Chinese aircraft.
Iran does not have a very rich choice when it comes to purchasing modern aircraft. Either buy from China or from Russia. But since Russia has reduced arms exports in the interests of the Central Military District, China looks like an obvious option. The same applies to potential purchases of air defense systems and radars.
But since Iran's rearmament will be long-term, in the future Russia may also consider selling the S-400 air defense system to Iran, as well as the Su-35, Su-57 and Su-75 fighters, which it can earn good money on.