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China reportedly has signed a deal to sell Iran 24 J-10 fighters in the next two years, Russian news agency RIA Novosti reported Oct. 22. Though this deal is unconfirmed and hardly a certainty, the prospect of new aircraft for the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF) is noteworthy.

In the late 1970s, Iran had an exceptionally well-equipped air force compared to others in the region. But since the fall of the shah, Iran’s air force has fallen into a desperate state of disrepair. The IRIAF received a windfall of Su-24 Fencer, MiG-29 Fulcrum and Mirage F-1 aircraft courtesy of the fleeing Iraqi air force in 1991, as Saddam Hussein tried to save some of his best aircraft from Operation Desert Storm. A direct Russian sale or two at about the same time fleshed out Iran’s fleet, but even then, the Islamic republic’s U.S.-built aircraft were suffering.

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