Iran Air Force (IRIAF) | News and Discussions

And article that has been floating around. It's rumours and that's all it is, I wouldn't believe it until Russia confirms it.

Article does contradicts itself saying mig-29 pilots going to Russia to get trained on Su-35 despite saying Iran's mig-29 will be upgraded so why send Ur mig-29 pilots to get trained on su-35 if Ur keeping Ur mig-29? Also a few articles over years have stated Iran's mig-29 aren't in the greatest condition, it's hard to tell as it's a secretive state when it comes to aircraft. But also this is out of character for Egypt as over the last few years we have seen a swing to Russian arms and to sudden give up seems odd, USA threatened Egypt in the past and it continued anyway, and if Egypt were scared of sanctions they would have never bought 50 mig-29m, etc etc and if Egypt wants to play that game then Russia could easily play same game as USA if it really wanted to, causing issues for Russian/Soviet systems in service. Imagine Russia refusing to sell parts for Egypt's KA-52K ? Not only would 39+ helicopters be useless but also the ships that were designed specifically to carry them. (Mistrels). As well as 60+ mi-17 Helis, S-300 systems etc.

A few statements from article

"The Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF) has already selected 30 F-14A Tomcat, MiG-29 Fulcrum and F-4E Phantom II pilots to be sent to Russia for training to operate the Su-35. If the defense agreement is signed in January, training will begin almost immediately and by mid-2022 all 24 Su-35SEs would be delivered."

"Part of the armament agreement also includes life extension, overhaul and upgrade work on 23 MiG-29 aircraft and 25 Su-24MK attack bombers. These works will be carried out in Iranian facilities."

"The $10 billion cost would be paid in whole or in large part with barrels of crude oil, which, although Russia is self-sufficient in energy (and in fact a major exporter), is the only thing Iran can pay with."

This deal also includes two batteries of S-400 and a military satellite.

https://www.aviacionline.com/2021/12/russian-iranian-defense-agreement-for-su-35-and-more-to-be-signed-soon/

That might just mean they picked their top pilots flying F-14A and MiG-29 and F-4 as pilot candidates to fly the Su-35s.

Hard to say if this is true or not but I do love the potential irony... US pressure prevents Egypt from buying new capable Russian state of the art fighters, leading to Russia selling those same new heavy fighters to Iran instead.

With wing mounted L band AESA radar for detecting stealth aircraft the Su-35 would be ideal for hunting stealth aircraft like the F-35 and F-22 and even the B-2... if this is true this would be a serious own goal by the US administration and a huge boost to the Iranian Air Force...

If it is true and this batch goes down well they might considering withdrawing their F-14s... maybe send a few to China and Russia to put in their military museums... that would be hilarious...

With its radar and the ability to carry the RVV-BD air to air missile the Su-35 would be an excellent replacement for the F-14 in Iranian service, and a very serious threat to any country wanting to do harm to Iran... which is precisely what you want from your own air force.

Again, if it is true I would still think that perhaps a further purchase of another batch of Su-35s later down the track to fully replace the F-14s and licence production of either MiG-29Ms or MiG-35s would be a good way to replace existing MiGs as well as F-4s and other aircraft like the Su-22.

In terms of the Su-24 I think an upgrade to allow cheap dumb bombs to be used accurately from altitude would make them useful and affordable for quite some time against a range of targets near Iran... to attack Saudi Arabia I would think standoff weapons would be most useful and they could be carried by the Su-24 as easily as the Su-34.

I think Iranian purchases of Su-35s will create great ructions in the west... Su-34s would likely create a pre-emptive self defence strike and lots of peacock BS from the west about the end of the world etc etc.

Striking Israel would be better done with cruise and ballistic missiles IMHO, because it completely negates their airforces advantages...

In difficult situations the Su-35 can perform strike missions too...

I think the MiG-29M or MiG-35 with local assembly or local production makes more sense as they will be cheaper to operate and offer better density of protection and larger more expensive aircraft that are not faster.

There is a claimed kill ratio of 4 non-stealth aircraft , for one F35 downed ! Assuming this to be true , then to down 50 F35 , Iran needs 100 to 200 aircraft .

First of all not sure where that those ratios came from... perhaps America.... to try to justify the price? Su-35s at $80 million a plane and F-35s at $120 million a plane only makes sense if you pretend for every F-35 you lose the other side will lose four planes, so you lose a 120 million dollar plane and they lose 320 million dollars in planes.

The only problem is that they likely pulled that ratio out of their asses and a defensive force with ground based SAMs in support all working together in a team might lead to F-35s being destroyed on their bases before even taking off from cruise missile and ballistic missile strikes on their airfields.

The US would not continue an attack if they lost significant numbers of aircraft.... most attacks are coordinated and needs parts to do specific jobs.... if they send a flight of F-35s on a SEAD mission to find air defence forces and SAMs and take them down and they get jumped by Su-35s that shoot half or all of them down the whole strike mission would be cancelled...

Why would Iran pay weapons with crude oil?

Iran has plenty of oil and oil can be sold to almost any country... Russia has oil already, but it has money already too so suggesting it wont accept oil is like suggesting they wont accept money or other commodities... in trade.

Iran sell oil to China and have enough Juans to pay for weapons through chinese financial system.

What they could also do is sell the oil rights to locations where oil has been found but they are not extracting... the Russian companies could go in and find the oil and start extracting and be allowed to extract a reasonable amount to cover what ever is being paid for and then they either hand it back to Iran or continue to pump Iranian oil with Iran profiting from the oil being extracted or use it to pay for something else.... medicine or food or whatever they want at the time.

Other cooperation on making medicines would be valuable where Russia can help Iran make medicines their citizens need that the US is refusing to sell... they could make equivalent medicines that are not owned by western companies so Iran could use it locally and sell to neighbouring countries who are also banned by the US like Syria or even Turkey...

Su-35 are already payed by Egypt, who itself cancelled deliveries, so no money return. Russia could take oil for Su-35 and deliver it to LNR and DNR at low price to boost LNR and DNR economy.

Giving Su-35s to a part of the Ukraine that someday might be part of the Ukraine does not make sense... they probably woudn't want to fund maintenance... easier to just have them over the border in Russia ready to go.

If Egypt has already paid for the aircraft then perhaps they want to delay delivery for a bit... in which case the planes made for them can be sold to Iran and new machines made when they are ready.

Of course it might be BS and Egypt is getting its Flankers and Iran is getting other ones and everyone is getting super flankers...

I think Iran should get a license to assemble either the Su-30SM2 or the Su-75 Checkmate. Or both.

I agree they should get a licence but Flankers are too expensive to have as your only aircraft... it would be like having an air force of only F-14s... just not affordable to operate widely.

I would say if this story is true then 24 Su-35s is a good start... perhaps further down the track a purchase of 24-48 Su-30s upgraded to Su-35 level for commonality of radar and engines and parts etc etc, or maybe the automation means they are happy with single seat and just buy more Su-35s.

For licence production I would say the Checkmate looks interesting but it is too far away so licence production of MiG-29Ms or MiG-35s... make a couple of hundred to replace existing MiG-29s and Su-22s and F-5s and F-4s and F-14s

Setting up licence production to just make 50 Su-30s does not make sense and producing 200 Su-30s would be too expensive to operate...

But that is my opinion of course.

This is all nothing but purchase talk porn…Russia won’t be supplying any such systems to Iran. It won’t disrupt its relationship with the jews.

Putin is losing patience with the EU/US/UK... does that extend to Israel too... especially with the recent attacks in Syria using Russian planes as cover for attacks on civilian ports...

Maybe this is a back the **** up offer... if Israel changes policy and the west changes policy then perhaps they might only sell Su-30s instead of Su-35s, and MiG-29Ms instead of MiG-35s... but then AUKUS might have pissed France off so much Iran might be getting Rafales gifted to them soon anyway....

Hungary was selling around 20 mig-29 and 500 items like missiles and fuel tanks for some 20 million $. No one bought them. Russia could have to upgrade them and give them to Iran.

But if Iran really wants some old mig-29 upgraded, there are hundreds of them parked in Russia that they can buy. They don't seem to be interested however.

I think it was a missunderstanding. I didn't write about delivering Su-35 to LDNR, but to deliver them oil from Iran.

I must say I thought the suggestion was rather more militant that I would expect from you.

Even then I would say Russia sells oil so selling Iranian oil along with their own converts it into money and I would think the LDNR might like other things they can use.

I think the conflict there puts the LDNR in the perfect position to use drones both in defence and attack because they don't have a real air force but drones could provide a situational awareness and an attack capacity that an airforce would often provide a super power, but in this case without the cost of what super powers pay for those air forces.

Even just cheap simple mass produced designs made of balsa wood with cheap simple small engines they can mass produce with weapons they already have to hand.

I mean a relatively small drone that can hold an RPG rocket mounted pointing directly down held by a server arm in place... after the aircraft is airborne have another server arm rip the safety caps off all four RPG rockets loaded in the drone pointing downwards so any contact with the nose of the RPG will set it off... have a camera pointed downwards and when over an enemy armoured vehicle release all four rockets... instead of live tails with propellent stubs screw on the used propellent stubs of rockets and tie rags to them as drag to make the rockets stabilise point downwards... even the crappiest oldest model HEAT version will penetrate even a modern tank vertically... make sure all rockets fall and then turn the drone around and fly back to be reloaded... if it gets shot down it gets shot down... flying at 3-4km altitude many wont even know it is there.

Rockets could be carried horizontally in the fuselage or under the wings with the rags tucked up and safety caps attached till release... removing safety caps after getting airborne means suicide use of the drone is a go too.

All that is needed are say two squadrons of identical jet planes and pilots . Facing each other in simulated attack .

What you want to do is include your fighter pilots with your air defence forces to all work together in the defence of Iranian airspace... having mock fight competitions between groups of pilots working on their own is good for individual skills, but it will take time to learn the strengths and weaknesses of each aircraft and those of the enemy to work out the tactics you want to use to put them at a disadvantage and make a victory more likely for you.

It might be that BUK types SAMs are the best way of dealing with a strike group of F-35s so using your fighters and other vehicles and equipment might be all about luring an enemy force to fly over a BUK regiment which can be powered up but radio silent and then ambush and take them all down...

The point is that as an attack force they will be looking at your defence forces and anything that sticks out they will try to eliminate... they will likely send drones in to test the waters and to do any damage they can... a flight of fighters intercepts those they might escalate with F-35s trying to take down the fighters... they were already there and were using their sensors to try to locate defences and radio communications of the defence working out gaps and weaknesses in the radar coverage, so when your fighters went up to get the drones their F-35s might try to get some fighters, which could be when mobile SAMs open their ambush... but obviously I am being very simplistic... there could be naval aircraft and AWACS and ground based radar etc etc that all need to be dealt with and of course shooting down drones might lead to a mass cruise missile strike or coordinated manned aircraft strike... all US bases in the region would need to be monitored as well as naval assets in the region too.

Then a plane with similar or better agility and short range WVR capability and lower cost and familiar to fly ......Like MIG29 is best . How many MIG29 can we buy for 120 million USD ?

You don't want to cheap out... a MiG-29SMT is the bare minimum and you want to buy Jamming pods too so they have some defence against AMRAAM and other threats...

So say three SU-35 cost 240 million USD . Equal to 50 Mig29 . An F35 carries 6 to 8 AA missiles . Not 50 !

But the Su-35 can probably do something about an AMRAAM attack, while a MiG-29 probably can't. A MiG-35 at 50-60 million an airframe would cost a lot to buy but operational costs will be lower than for a Flanker so you can afford to use them to defend your airspace.

I think you need both, I think Su-35s would be an excellent replacement for the F-14s you currently operate, plus I think Iran should work together with Russia in developing a long range AAM... it sounds like Russia is working with India to produce such a weapon... perhaps there is room for Iranian investment and knowhow to be added to that equation?

Current long range AAMs use radar because long range detection is via radar so it just makes sense, but new lock on after launch and long and short wave IR missiles that can passively scan without giving away their presence by broadcasting radar waves everywhere that can see a good distance ahead of themselves and identify their own targets would be very interesting.

The wing mounted L band AESA radar on the Su-35 can detect stealth aircraft at extended ranges because the stealthy shape and materials don't effect radar in those frequencies, but firing a radar homing missile at such a contact would be wasteful when the homing missile uses radar waves the target is designed to be the most stealthy against... an IIR guided missile on the other hand can fly in the direction of the blip from the L band radar array and it can look for targets as it flys... when it comes across a target it can look at its IR signature and either attack it or continue onwards...

Imagine being able to shoot down F-35s from 200km range?

An RVV-BD with a IIR seeker and datalink... you could set the L band AESA array as both detection of the stealthy target and also the datalink system receiving a video image of what the outgoing missile sees...

And the fun Iran will have gifting F-4s and F-14s to museums in Cuba and China and North Korea and Vietnam and Russia... because they wont need them... they could even give one to an American Museum like the Smithsonian... they might pay them a few million for a pair.

medo wrote:Why would Iran pay weapons with crude oil? Russia have enough oil.

It makes economic sense. Russia takes delivery of what is now 'their' oil in the Gulf and immediately sells it on. Potentially saving major transport costs. Could even sell it to China.

Its an excellent way of bypassing sanctions and almost a no-brainer for Iran.

But pods make no sense . Better have pods that separate and fly away from aircraft . And we need plenty of them , to exhaust AA missiles . Overcoming  the advantage in stealth by advantage in electronics .

Pods make clear sense... if you have 200 aircraft you don't need to upgrade 200 EW systems and keep them up to date... you can buy 50 pods and mount them on aircraft that would need them at the time.

Cheaper and easier to upgrade 50 pods to state of the art technology and you can have optimised pods for different roles, which would be cheaper than upgrading and modifying aircraft and easier to deploy.

By separating pods I suspect you mean disposable jammers and decoys... that is something different... that could be as simple as a couple of S-13 122mm calibre five shot rocket pods with disposable jammers and decoys/drones.

Towed jammers can also be carried too but that is something else too...

If tactics work , then no need to have planes flying long term .

Obviously you don't want to fly your planes around all the time like community constables walking around making the public feel safe after a stabbing or other serious incident, but having enough planes to distribute them in useful numbers around your country would be useful and to be able to concentrate them in some areas in case of an attack is also rather useful too, the whole point of an IADS network is allowing your planes to be on the ground but ready for use when needed so if an enemy attacks the pilots are rested and ready to go and not having been flying around the place for the last 6 hours and are tired and in need of refuelling and rearming.

The other part of the IADS is management to make sure you have enough of what you need where you need it to stop an attack as efficiently as possible so every incursion does not mean the entire force get airborne for instance.

And as you said , a mix of Mig29 and SU-30 will be a better idea . However IF money is a problem , then duplication of systems is not wise . Having two or more systems that do the same job . And defence of S300 or S400 , already engage at those ranges .

The world is moving away from Oil and it is not going to be valuable forever, so it makes sense for you to benefit from it as a resource while you can, but it is also important that you use it while it is valuable and get the best benefit out of it now... in 20 years time most of the west will be all electric cars... not because that is better but because their ideology and mantra demand it, so the demand for oil and oil based products will certainly change though I doubt demand will ever be eliminated completely.

My point is that defending yourself and getting a decent but not ridiculous ability to defend yourself is important... but in a sense you would be handing over your oil to Russia and it becomes their problem to sell and get returns on it.... but for as long as the west has sanctions on you selling it yourself is going to be problematic anyway.

Use the oil reserves to improve your situation... as I said... don't just buy weapons... enter into joint ventures with Chinese and Russian companies.... produce medicine and drugs... get production contracts for products that Iranians want in large numbers... not things that are out of date in six months like cell phones, but things that are needed like tractors... start making electric vehicles... technology that is beneficial like solar and wind power, electric motors... invest wisely for Irans future.

Don't get too fixated with F-35s... having a ballistic missile response is worth 1,000 F-35s... the west does not tend to attack countries that can strike back.

So given the choice of either a good number of S300- S400 and say 200 updated Mig29 with 400 drone wingman versus same number or fewer of AD and 24 SU-35 then the first choice is best .

I would agree, but SAMs are only useful in large numbers so you need a licence agreement to make your own missiles and make them in eye watering numbers and I also like the fact that you are not talking about fighters/drones or SAMs, because it really works best with both.

Perhaps the solution could be MiG upgrades for the next 5 years or so and numbers to replace the F-4 and other types you have in service... an upgraded MiG-29SMT should be able to replace an F-4 and an Su-22 in the medium fighter and light strike roles... and in 5-10 years time buy some Checkmates to operate with your MiGs...

As I said I am biased because I don't hate MiG...

However IF money no object then adequate AD plus 200 updated Mig29 and drone wingman and say 25 to 50 Su-30 . Should take care of 50 F35 ! Beyond this point , not worth increasing numbers . Then go Nuclear . A month's worth of Ammo and supplies .

The Su-30s would be a good replacement for your F-14s, but I think your ballistic missiles are your trump card... load a few up with pamphlets and land some in populated areas... self destruct them at safe altitudes of course... the sway of propaganda in a message to the locals would be turned sour if the rocket lands on someones house and wipes out their family like a US drone strike...

Please remember that NS1 and NS2 may only be used 50% of a provider according to a stupid EU law. This also affects oil pipelines. That's why Russia now buys gas and oil in Iran, and packs with in NS1 and NS2 and Druschba. ERGO 100% EU compliant capacity. Iran gets rubles, were, weapons, etc. Win Win

Russia makes a lot of money selling oil and gas... no one will be able to tell what is Iranian oil and what is Russian oil... they can convert it into money very easily and the people buying really probably don't care too much. If you watched the news you would think the US and UK don't buy Russian oil and Russian gas but they actually do... they just don't like to talk about it. And they buy it because it is cheaper than from other sources.

I stay, MiG-31BM with 24 units would be the best Iranian option.

On paper I would agree, but there are none for sale AFAIK... Russia is using all the ones they have in storage and likely don't really want to share any time soon.

It would be expensive to operate... it is a big heavy powerful aircraft and the model they got would not be as good as the model Russia uses, but certainly an excellent interceptor and that huge radar is excellent.

But AFAIK not really an option for them.

A single engined plane is obviously cheaper to manufacture ,

The figures for the top of the range Chinese plane is about $60 million per aircraft... that is more than the Russians are paying for the MiG-35s, and the MiG-35s have two upgraded versions of the Chinese aircrafts engines...  (the Klimov RD-93 is an RD-33 with the gearbox shifted to a different position).

Obviously the Russians wont sell to Iran at the same prices they buy themselves, but the MiG-29M should be $60 million or rather less on the export market and would be much more capable than this Chinese aircraft... it might end up $70 million if they want licence production but then they would have the same issues with the Chinese plane getting more expensive with licence production rights....

nomadski wrote:"
And what is the cost of  an Iran defeated and destroyed by USA or a Nuclear attack on Iran by USA ,  for Russia and the world ? A not too unrealistic prospect ?

The main cost, if it doesn't spin into WW3, will be the destruction of Israel.

Yes , that is what I mean . I am not too happy about non-stealthy planes confronting stealthy planes , with Radar switched on AND ECM pods advertising location too .

Radar would only be used when needed, and jamming pods would only be used when under attack... for example being illuminated by the seeker head of an AMRAAM ARH missile... and if that is happening the enemy aircraft already knows where you are anyway.

With proper coordination with ground forces and aircraft you can have some platforms scanning for threats but equally quite a few other aircraft and ground forces operating radar in listening mode only, so not emitting any signal but listening for signals. The enemy... if it is using active radar will give away its own positions, but its stealthy aircraft will only be using their radar as little as possible to avoid giving away their position.

This should give Iran as the home team a better situational awareness and the ability to look for threats and move radar and radio silent platforms closer to where they think the enemy stealthy aircraft and drones are located... when you get close enough the IRST and IR guided weapons can deal with the problem...

The F35 attack will form part of their tactics . After they use cruise missile from B2 or B52 or Sub or Ship at sea . These have 3700 km range and are fitted with conventional warhead . Against B2 , very difficult to intercept by Air at 3700 km from border for Iran .

Such standoff ranges makes engaging the launch platforms difficult, so instead of engaging the launch platforms, designate targets in the region that you will attack instead... US military bases HQs, Comms centres, US Airfields, etc etc.

When they attack you, you attack them back.

Ship and Sub launched cruise can be dealt with effectively by Iranian Subs at sea . How many cruise missiles can they fire ? How many AD missiles , will Iran need to intercept ? How many cruise will get through ? I have to assume that , they will in the medium or long term , win the war of numbers . And once SEAD operation is made an impact, then they will come in with F35 and then F18.........

Low flying subsonic missiles are relatively easy to intercept... the real problem is detecting them on their way... Saudi Arabia didn't detect any till impact which is obviously too late.

One advantage of forcing the US to launch attacks from extreme range is that you therefore get plenty of time to deal with them, and the solution again is a coordination of aircraft and ground base air defences.

If they launch 300 missiles then of course you would struggle to deal with them all as they arrive on target, but using aircraft, you can engage them from where they are detected all the way to their targets... even an old model MiG-29 should be able to get 6 good kills with AAMs... the SARH R-27 could be used to deal with targets further away and after those two are launched the four remaining R-73s are just ideal for shooting down cruise missiles too... the gun system on the MiG-29 is very good too... approach from behind... get a lock on the cruise missile and pull the trigger for the cannon... the fire control system will use the IRST and laser range finder to get a precise location for the target (the IRST gives very precise angular information for the target but not range, but the laser gives very precise range information)... together they give a very precise location for the target in real time and when the fire control system on the plane detects the angles are just right it will allow the gun to fire a burst.

The point is that even after the missiles are fired and the cannon is out of shells the plane can continue to fly around locating cruise missiles and passing target data to the ground air defence forces so they can attack them too.

I believe Iran has Kornets and Igla-S both in licence production... the latter would be absolutely ideal for engaging cruise missiles as long as sufficient warning is given to the operator.

The MiG could follow the cruise missiles till other aircraft arrive and start launching missiles to whittle down their numbers while they can return to base to rearm for another wave of missiles...

The key is work together so no targets are hit and then respond to the attack with a ballistic missile or cruise missile attack of your own... where would their aircraft attack be based from... attack that airfield in response to their first attack...

Agree . Once the war gets to a stage , where they have air superiority and are bombing at will , then as we talked before , symbolic attacks by ICBM against monuments can be done . Or detonation of strong flares at altitude . Or EMP . Or plastic mini-leaflet that will survive the trip and fall to Earth .This should not provoke a Nuclear response . But if it does , so be it !

No way. Attack them back with ballistic and cruise missiles to prevent them gaining air superiority.... hit their air bases, their arms dumps and fuel supplies... the power stations near their bases.

If they threaten nukes then say... that makes all US forces fair game and also Israel fair game... do they still want to play?

And what is the cost of an Iran defeated and destroyed by USA or a Nuclear attack on Iran by USA , for Russia and the world ? A not too unrealistic prospect ?

Iran has more justification to spend money on defence... because unlike US and EU and HATO budgets... it actually is on DEFENCE.... but equally we don't want Iran to spend away its wealth and future on weapons it does not need... that would be another way the west could defeat Iran is to get it to overspend on its military and ignore its economy and people.... a bit like North Korea...

Here the Israel minister still thinks a war with Iran is winnable !

And that is a problem and is very destabilising... maybe if the US and HATO does not want to give Russia security guarantees then Russia needs to give Iran security guarantees... perhaps set aside a dozen TOPOL missiles and sign a deal with Iran that if any country attacks them that they can give the go ahead and Russia will attack the country that attacked them... Russia can use its discretion to decide what form the return attack would take, but it will be up to and including TOPOL if needed.

I am sure the US would say that isn't fair, but that is the agreement the US has with HATO countries... if they get attacked then the US is obliged to help... Russia making similar agreements with Iran is none of the wests business... isn't that how this works?

Irans security is none of the wests business and Iran has every right to enter into security agreements and pacts with Russia if they want... I mean if Russia can stop Ukraine and Georgia joining HATO then what say should the west have in agreements Russia signs?

Yes I can imagine ! They have a Death star in orbit !

It is a diamond studded leash attached to Bidens diamond and emerald studded codpiece isn't it?

I just don’t see Russia taking it on. I’d put a tenner on it.

I am not a betting man... not because I don't believe I am right, but because I don't want to compound being wrong with owing someone money too.

Might be losing patience but that doesn’t mean he’s willing to take on the agro of supplying such systems to Iran - I just don’t see Russia taking it on. I’d put a tenner on it.

Russia most likely blames Iran as much as it does isreal, who is just boxing clever - it is a war after all.

It would be a great way of linking their own demands with the current situation.

At the moment the US and EU and HATO countries and non HATO countries are saying who they do or don't let into HATO is none of Russias business... a simple counter would be for Russia to say OK... if we can't say yes or no to Ukraine or Georgia entering HATO then you don't get any say in our defence agreements with other countries too as I mentioned above they could have a bilateral agreement with Iran, but they could expand it to the SCO group... Venezuela would love to join and I expect Cambodia and Cuba and North Korea would all love to get security guarantees from Russia... Russia could start investments and increase its presence in these regions to boost trade and really help these regions out... Russia has gone from broken to built back better and I am sure there is lots of advice and assistance they could give.... investments where the country they are working with gets help, but it is not just charity draining Russian resources... where both sides make money and create wealth and value and progress and develop.

Re France I know that was just tongue in cheek, there’s more chance of me flying one of those jets straight from Moscow to Tehran without crashing!

Fly over the Caspian Sea... shouldn't be a huge problem...

Putin needs a response for when the west brushes him off... even if he does not use it... it would be a useful option...

The west knows Russia is not going to attack Kiev out of the blue... it will stop Kievs forces if they try a violent solution to their current problems but they wont invade for any other reason because they don't want the Ukraine, that is just a myth.

That is why they can make all sorts of threats they know they will never have to follow through on like kicking Russia out of SWIFT.

Putin should do the same... basing Russian air defence regiments of S-400 and S-500 near the nuclear reactor in Iran for instance, or gifting them some Su-24s with upgrades and perhaps some MiG-29s from storage for the price of minor upgrades on them and perhaps a future licence production contract for MiG-29Ms... to be paid for in oil ventures... Hell, no... they should be doing that anyway... Licence production of Pantsir SAMs.... IADS equipment.

Perhaps if the JPOA agreement is not resumed in its original form without preconditions Russia might sign a new agreement with Iran... they can be the first foreign producers and operators of Checkmates...