The Iranian Army’s Eagle 44 underground Air Base is capable of receiving and operating all types of fighter jets and bombers, as well as unmanned aerial vehicles, IRNA reported Tuesday morning. The underground base is big enough to shelter a command post, fighter maintenance hangars, aircraft maintenance centers, navigation and airport equipment, and fuel tanks, and can host all types of Air Force fighters.
IRNA noted that this large underground base will be able to receive and operationally use the new fighters of Iran’s Air Force.
In mid-January, Shahriar Heidari, a member of the Iranian Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, confirmed Western intelligence sources’ reports that Iran is receiving 24 Russian Sukhoi Su-35 fourth-generation fighter jets.
The new base was visited this week by the Armed Forces Chief of Staff Major General Pasdar Mohammad Bagheri, and the Commander in Chief of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Army Amir Major General Seyed Abdul Rahim Mousavi.
IRNA noted that Eagle 44 is only one of several underground tactical air bases run by its Air Force in different regions of the country – in case the air force of some undisclosed Middle-Eastern country would think about bombing it. Go ahead and bomb – we are practically drowning in underground air bases.
Also, according to IRNA, the design of these air bases that are hidden under mountains allows for surprise air operations on the unsuspecting enemy.
Also, IRNA stressed that by keeping the fighters in safe places and equipping them with electronic warfare systems, bombs, and missiles, including Yasin, Qaim, and Asif, these bases can support long-distance operations, increasing the strategic range for distant targets. No idea how keeping the planes underground makes them fly longer, but maybe they developed some surprising technology.
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