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Map of Where the Middle East gets their Air Force
submitted 4 years ago by magnora7 from i.redd.it
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[–]fred_red_beans 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun - 4 years ago (3 children)
Syria and Yemen are Russian, but it seems strange that Iran's are American.
[–]magnora7[S] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun - 4 years ago (2 children)
The US had control over Iran from 1954 to 1979, and I think we armed the heck out of them during that time. (Like how we've done with Saudi Arabia. But then in 1979 they had a counter-revolution to the US-installed Shah, and they've been anti-US from 1979. I wouldn't be surprised if their air force is from the 70s. That'd be my guess. It is strange though.
[–]fred_red_beans 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun - 4 years ago (1 child)
I was thinking that too, seems like pretty old planes.
According to wikipedia:
The Air Force has attempted with some success to maintain in service the large number of American-built aircraft which Iran acquired during the Shah's regime. The Air Force has turned to purchases of Soviet and Chinese aircraft, as well as pressing ex-Iraqi aircraft into service, and indigenously built aircraft, in order to maintain a capable force. As of June 2016, the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force possesses 348 fighters, making it the ninth most powerful air arm in the world, on paper.
[–]magnora7[S] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun - 4 years ago (0 children)
as well as pressing ex-Iraqi aircraft into service
I wonder if they're buying new-ish American planes via Iraq, that'd be something.
Sounds like a pretty rag-tag air force though. I bet the reality is a lot worse than how it looks "on paper", if I had to guess.
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[–]fred_red_beans 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun - (3 children)
[–]magnora7[S] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun - (2 children)
[–]fred_red_beans 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun - (1 child)
[–]magnora7[S] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun - (0 children)