Official: Iran producing fighter jet
Mon Aug 6, 10:44 PM ET
TEHRAN, Iran - Iran has started industrial-scale production of its first domestically manufactured fighter jet, state television reported Monday, part of the country's effort to be militarily self-sufficient.
The plane was first tested in 2006 and derived from re-engineered components of U.S. combat aircraft.
"The airplane, Azarakhsh, was made by Iranian experts, and it has already reached the industrial production stage," state TV quoted Iran's defense minister, Mostafa Mohammad Najjar, as saying.
According to previous reports, the Azarakhsh, or Lightning, was designed for close air support.
After decades of relying on foreign weapons purchases, Iran has said it is increasingly self-sufficient, claiming annual military exports of more than $100 million to more than 50 countries.