Comdr: Iran air force self-sufficient, ready to help friends

Tehran, Sept 19, IRNA - Commander of Iran’s Army Aviation Service (Havanirooz) Brigadier-General Yousef Ghorbani said today the Iranian air forces are not only self-sufficient in producing parts, but are ready to help friends as well. Ghorbani lauded air forces' big operations and great performance during eight years of Iraqi impose war in west and southwestern part of the country. He added that there were only 10 pilots with highest academic and professional degrees in 7 bases at the begging of the war with Iraq, while now the air forces have plenty of them. Elaborating on air forces' self-sufficiency in time of hostile sanctions against the country, Ghorbani noted that this achievement was made despite the fact the country has been experiencing different kinds of sanctions over the last 40 years. He referred to complicated system of helicopters, saying that, fortunately, Iran needs no other country in producing spare parts. Such achievements have been made by Iranian universities and knowledge-based companies, he reiterated. He pointed to flying at night as a major concern for the Iranian air forces, saying today we are able to do so. Elsewhere in his remarks, the Iranian commander pointed to recent Zolfaghar 99 military drills which covered the Persian Gulf, the Hormuz Strait, Makran Coasts, the Sea of Oman, and northern Indian Ocean and said the event broght about deterrence and made the enemies understand the fact that Iran and especially the Persian Gulf is no place for their presence. He noted that Iranian army together with the Islamic Revolution Gurad Corps (IRGC) has created security in Iran.