The three overhauled jets include F-14 and F-7 fighter aircraft, as well as a PC7 Turbo Trainer, according to commander of Shahid Babaei Airbase, Mohammad Jafar Tak.
He maintained that the efforts put into the overhauling process of the grounded aircraft showed that the enemy’s attempts at imposing sanctions in a bid to undermine the country’s defense capabilities have been futile.
He added that efforts to overhaul grounded aircraft are in line with the Leader’s directives on promoting resistance economy and the necessity of cutting down on expenses.
The PC7 Turbo Trainer, which had been grounded since 2016, returned to the operational mode after one year and 5,000 manpower/hours spent on it. The F-7 fighter had been grounded since 2013, and became once again operational after the overhaul process and going through four flight tests.
The overhaul process for the F-14 fighter jet began last February. It went through the flight tests last month and has now become fit to join the operational fleet of Army’s air force, commander Tak added.
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