For some time, there has been growing suspicion that Russia is offering cash (or gold), technology, know-how and modern weaponry in exchange for drones, ammunition, missiles and now, in the case of north koreapeople to support their war in Ukraine – like the Kyiv Post previously reported.

Most military analysts believe that the contract for the delivery of 24 Sukhoi Su-35 (NATO: Flanker E) multirole fighter jets, whose delivery began in April 2023, was one such transaction. These aircraft were available at relatively short notice because they were part of a $2 billion deal that Egypt had backed out of, presumably worried about US sanctions if it bought weapons from Russia.

It now appears that the level of of Iran continued support has reached such a level that two dozen aircraft are no longer a sufficient reward.

Conformable Iranian journalist, Hayal Muazin, Moscow has granted Iran a license to Tehran to start producing Russian Su-30 (NATO: Flanker C) jets as well as Su-35 fighter jets and is already preparing to set up an assembly plant. Muazin described this as “a significant step in the development of Iranian aviation”, where the initial deliveries of Su-35s under the current contract have already increased the capability of the Iranian air force.

It appears that Iran will initially receive previously manufactured subsystems, components and other parts for local assembly before eventually developing its own manufacturing capacity.

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Conformable Mezuzah Telegram, based in Israel, was completed during the license to Iran, which will allow the construction of up to 72 Su-35s and an unknown number of Su-30s. BRICS the summit took place in Kazan, Russia, on October 22-24.

Not only would this number of modern aircraft augment Iran’s armed forces, it would also create new jobs and develop its own aviation industry. It will also reduce Tehran’s dependence on foreign supplies of military equipment and allow it to lessen the effect of international sanctions under which it currently operates. It is unclear whether the license agreement would allow Iran the right to produce aircraft for export to third countries.

The Su-30 and Su-35, two of the most advanced multirole fighters, are both developments of Russia’s Sukhoi Su-27, which is also designated by NATO as a Flanker. They have many common features but key differences that suit different missions. The Su-30 is a two-seat, long-range multirole fighter aircraft, which makes it suitable for a variety of combat tasks, including air-to-air interdiction and all-weather combat missions.

The Su-35, which is itself a development of the Su-30, uses more powerful engines, improved electronic countermeasures systems and more advanced avionics, making the aircraft highly maneuverable with long-range detection, acquisition and tracking of multiple targets .

Military Watch website reported in 2020, Sukhoi was working on developing a single “Super Flanker” aircraft that would combine the best elements of the Su-30 and Su-35 into a single model by 2027. There was little open-source information about how or if the program develop.