Fars News Agency – July 29, 2008
TEHRAN - Iran's Air Force commander said the country's military experts are capable of overhauling F-14 Tomcat fighter jets in a matter of 40 days.
Brigadier General Ahmad Miqani was quoted by press tv as saying on Monday that Iran's Air Force has achieved self-sufficiency in the repair, maintenance and overhaul of its equipment.
He added that Iranian military experts are capable of overhauling F-5 two-seaters, F-14 Tomcat fighter jets, 707 and 747 aircrafts with only forty days of work.
"We have upgraded our air force fleet, state-of-the-art radar-systems, and rocket launchers over the past few years," Brig. Gen. Miqani said, adding that the country would continue its efforts to reach the peak of its military capability.
The Iranian Air Force chief announced that the country is mass producing different types of drones used in reconnaissance missions, pinpointing enemy bases, and carrying explosives.
Iran has recently started the production of superior
'Quick Reaction' tanks to increase the country's defense self-sufficiency.
Iran has also developed an electro-optical surveillance system that can act as a viable alternative when radars fail to cover a particular range.
Brig. Gen. Miqani described recent enemy threats as mere psychological warfare but added that Iran is fully prepared to deliver a devastating blow to the enemy in the event of an attack on the country.
Israel and its close ally the United States accuse Iran of seeking a nuclear weapon, while they have never presented any corroborative document to substantiate their allegations. Both Washington and Tel Aviv possess advanced weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear warheads.
Iran vehemently denies the charges, insisting that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only. Tehran stresses that the country has always pursued a civilian path to provide power to the growing number of Iranian population, whose fossil fuel would eventually run dry.
Iran has also insisted that it would continue enriching uranium because it needs to provide fuel to a 300-megawatt light-water reactor it is building in the south western town of Darkhoveyn as well as its first nuclear power plant in the southern port city of Bushehr.
Tel Aviv and Washington have recently intensified their threats to launch military action against Iran to make Tehran drop what they allege to be a non-peaceful nuclear program, while a recent report by 16 US intelligence bodies endorsed the civilian nature of Iran's nuclear plans and activities.
Following the US National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) and similar reports by the IAEA head - one in November and the other one in February - which praised Iran's truthfulness about key aspects of its past nuclear activities and announced settlement of outstanding issues with Tehran, any effort to impose further sanctions or launch military attack on Iran seems to be completely irrational.
The February report by the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, praised Iran's cooperation in clearing up all of the past questions over its nuclear program, vindicating Iran's nuclear program and leaving no justification for any new UN sanctions.
The UN nuclear watchdog has so far carried out at least 14 surprise inspections of Iran's nuclear sites, but found nothing to support the allegations.
Following the said reports by the US and international bodies, many world states have called the UN Security Council pressure against Tehran unjustified, demanding that Iran's case must be normalized and returned from the UNSC to the IAEA.
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=8705081124
Last updated 01/08/2008
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