NYT WORLD: In Satellite Images and Video, Hidden Clues About an Iranian Air Force Upgrade
By Christoph Koettl and Alexander Cardia
Section: World
Source: New York Times
Published Date: February 17, 2023 at 02:00AM
Satellite imagery analysis also reveals what appears to be an at-scale model — what experts call a mockup — of the same type of fighter jet at the base. Combined, the details suggest two things about Iran’s plans: Officials are optimistic about the delivery of these planes, and they could be intending to use this air base to house some of them.
Since September 2022, Iranian military and political officials have publicly touted the supposed purchase of 24 Su-35s, one of Russia’s most advanced combat aircraft.
Russia has not confirmed the deal, but the details in the video and satellite images suggest Iran is at least making preparations for the arrival of the planes, which officials maintain will happen later this year. It would be the country’s most significant upgrade to its aging fighter jet fleet in decades.
Military cooperation between Russia and Iran has been accelerated by Russia’s international isolation and need for military supplies following its invasion of Ukraine.
The Biden administration has described the closer ties as “harmful,” and said it believes the Iranians are already receiving training on the new aircraft. John Kirby, a White House spokesman, said at a December news briefing that “these fighter planes would significantly strengthen Iran’s Air Force relative to its regional neighbors.”
Chris Biggers is a former U.S. government imagery analyst and senior director for Mission Applications at HawkEye 360, a firm that tracks radio frequency emissions around the world. In his analysis of the base, which he provided to The Times’s Visual Investigations team, Mr. Biggers identified two mockups of combat aircraft, including one that matches the dimensions of a Russian Su-35, in a construction staging area. “These are likely being used in assessing clearances for maneuvering the aircraft throughout the underground facility and could suggest they’ll be based here,” Mr. Biggers wrote.
By Christoph Koettl and Alexander Cardia
Section: World
Source: New York Times
Published Date: February 17, 2023 at 02:00AM
In early February, Iranian state media aired a video about an underground Air Force base. Details in the footage and satellite images point toward the possible arrival of advanced Russian jets.
On Feb. 7, Iran unveiled a new underground Air Force base called “Eagle 44” in a slick propaganda video. On the wall was a clue hiding in plain sight: a poster with silhouettes of fighter jets. One in particular stands out. It’s situated front and center, and is in the shape of a state-of-the-art military jet that Iran currently doesn’t possess, but which officials claim Russia is in the process of selling to them.Satellite imagery analysis also reveals what appears to be an at-scale model — what experts call a mockup — of the same type of fighter jet at the base. Combined, the details suggest two things about Iran’s plans: Officials are optimistic about the delivery of these planes, and they could be intending to use this air base to house some of them.
Since September 2022, Iranian military and political officials have publicly touted the supposed purchase of 24 Su-35s, one of Russia’s most advanced combat aircraft.
Russia has not confirmed the deal, but the details in the video and satellite images suggest Iran is at least making preparations for the arrival of the planes, which officials maintain will happen later this year. It would be the country’s most significant upgrade to its aging fighter jet fleet in decades.
Military cooperation between Russia and Iran has been accelerated by Russia’s international isolation and need for military supplies following its invasion of Ukraine.
The Biden administration has described the closer ties as “harmful,” and said it believes the Iranians are already receiving training on the new aircraft. John Kirby, a White House spokesman, said at a December news briefing that “these fighter planes would significantly strengthen Iran’s Air Force relative to its regional neighbors.”
Chris Biggers is a former U.S. government imagery analyst and senior director for Mission Applications at HawkEye 360, a firm that tracks radio frequency emissions around the world. In his analysis of the base, which he provided to The Times’s Visual Investigations team, Mr. Biggers identified two mockups of combat aircraft, including one that matches the dimensions of a Russian Su-35, in a construction staging area. “These are likely being used in assessing clearances for maneuvering the aircraft throughout the underground facility and could suggest they’ll be based here,” Mr. Biggers wrote.
Read More at: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/17/world/iran-air-force-base-jets.html
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