Official: Iran to Test Home-Made Training Jet Next Year

(FNA)- Managing-Director of the Iranian Aviation Industries Organization (IAIO) Manouchehr Manteqi announced the country's plans to test a new home-made training jet named 'Kowsar 88' next year.

"Kowsar 88 jet will go under tests in the next Iranian year (which starts on March 21, 2015) if the plans go ahead with no problem," Manteqi told FNA on Wednesday.

He also referred to the manufacturing of Iran-140 planes in Iran, and said production of the different parts of the plane's cargo model will finish this year and the final assembly of the plane will be carried out next spring.

Elaborating on the marine patrolling model of Iran-140, Manteqi said that the aircraft is being built in two models, the first model of which has been built and tested.

He also announced that the country is now mass-producing the two home-made fighter jets, Azarakhsh and Saeqeh, according to domestic demands.

In recent years, Iran has made great achievements in the defense sector and gained self-sufficiency in essential military hardware and defense systems.

The country has repeatedly made it clear that its military might is merely based on the state's defense doctrine of deterrence and that it poses no threat to other countries.

Manteqi underlined in 2012 that his organization can manufacture any number of home-made Iran-140 planes in 6 months. 

"When the plane is ordered to us (for production), we prepare it in about 6 months," Manteqi told FNA at the time.

Noting that the home-made Iran-140 planes used for marine patrolling missions are built in two heavy and light types, he said, "These kinds of airplanes are rare in the world; only three world countries build light planes and Iran is among them."

Iran has manufactured several IRAN-140 passenger planes in the last few years, but the new generation has been designed and equipped with the needed tools, systems and devices for marine patrolling.

The first IRAN-140 aircraft was introduced by Iran in 2003. Five domestically-manufactured IRAN-140 planes were completed in October 2008 to increase the country's transportation capacity and upgrade the Iranian passenger fleet.

The IRAN-140 is a double-engine turboprop aircraft which can fly almost 1,865 miles before re-fuelling and its passenger model seats 52 people.