Iran Unveils First Homegrown Combat Jet Trainer (+Video)

The aircraft was unveiled during a ceremony in Shahid Noje Airbase in the western province of Hamedan, attended by high-ranking officials including Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami, Vice-President for Science and Technology Affairs Sorena Sattari, and Commander of Iran’s Air Force Brigadier General Aziz Nasirzadeh.

The jet trainer has been designed and built by specialists of the Iranian Armed Forces and is intended to be used for training fighter pilots.

According to the Public Relations Department of the Iranian Army, the aircraft made its first official flight over the Shahid Noje Airbase on Thursday morning at the behest of the Air Force’s commander.

Yasin jet trainer is 12 meters long and four meters high and weighs five and a half tons.

The aircraft's ejection seat is capable of working at zero speed and under any circumstances, propelling the pilots out of the fighter jet in a fraction of a second to a height of up to 100 meters.    

Iranian military experts and technicians have in recent years made great headways in manufacturing a broad range of indigenous equipment, making the armed forces self-sufficient in the arms sphere.

Iranian officials have repeatedly underscored that the country will not hesitate to strengthen its military capabilities, including its missile power, which are entirely meant for defense, and that Iran’s defense capabilities will be never subject to negotiations.

Back in February 2018, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei called for efforts to maintain and boost Iran’s defense capabilities, hitting back at the enemies for disputing the country’s missile program.

“Without a moment of hesitation, the country must move to acquire whatever is necessary for defense, even if the whole world is opposed to it,” Ayatollah Khamenei said at the time.