During a ceremony joined by senior military officials on Saturday in Tehran, the defense chief said the jet has “special features,” most significantly its “excellent design, which enables us to put it to use in various fields,” including as combat and backup aircraft.
“Most pieces of the aircraft’s equipment have been indigenized, and we are certain the jet, as an advanced aircraft, can perform the missions assigned to the Air Force well and prove effective in reducing the duration of training and [increase] its quality,” he added.
Unveiled in 2019, the all-Iranian state-of-the-art jet is 12 meters long and 4 meters high, weighing 5.5 tons. It can fly at a maximum altitude of 12 kilometers.
The wings of the aircraft are over 10 meters long and have a surface area of 24 square meters, enabling the jet to fly at a minimum speed of 200 kilometers per hour.
