Iran Decides To Buy Chinese Fighter Jets Instead Of Russian Ones
- 27.06.2025, 13:01
The Su-35 has found a replacement.
Iran has stepped up talks with China to buy Chengdu J-10C multi-role fighter jets after heavy losses in the 12-day war with Israel and the US, Khorasan writes. Tehran intends to modernize its Air Force (AF) as soon as possible, and the Chinese planes are seen as an affordable and cheap alternative to the Russian Su-35s, writes The Moscow Times.
Iran has shown interest in the J-10C for about two decades. In 2015, preparations began for a contract to supply 150 fighter jets, but the deal stalled: Beijing insisted on payment in foreign currency, while Tehran, lacking it, suggested bartering oil and gas. The UN arms embargo on the Islamic republic also got in the way. In 2020, these restrictions were lifted and negotiations resumed. The scale of the deal was reduced to 36 aircraft, but the parties again failed to agree on payment. Now the situation has changed: on June 24, the US allowed China to officially buy oil from Iran without the threat of sanctions, which increased the chances of concluding the contract. According to the publication, the visit of Iran's Defense Minister Brigadier General Aziz Nasirzadeh to the SCO summit in Qingdao on June 25 can be considered in this context.
According to Military Balance for 2025, before the war with Israel, the Iranian Air Force had about 150 fighter jets. These were mostly outdated American-made models that the country had gotten before the Islamic Revolution. These include the F-4 Phantom II (64 units), the F-5E/F Tiger II (35) and the F-14A Tomcat (41). Also still in service are 18 MiG-29A/UBs delivered in the late 1980s and early 1990s, but most of them have lost combat capability due to lack of spare parts and difficulty of maintenance.
The last foreign fighters Iran bought were four Russian Su-35s contracted in 2023. Tehran has ordered a total of 50 aircraft, but due to the war in Ukraine, deliveries are not expected anytime soon.
The J-10C is a single-engine multi-role fighter that is positioned by China as a more affordable alternative to Western F-16Vs and Gripen E's. The price per unit ranges from $60 million (basic kit) to $90 million (with parts, warranty, armament and pilot training).
The 12-day war in the Middle East, which began June 13 with Israeli airstrikes on Iran's nuclear facilities at Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan, has exposed the Jewish state's critical air superiority. F-35 and F-15 fighter jets destroyed much of Iran's air defense system, including radars and Russian S-300 anti-aircraft systems, allowing them to operate unimpeded over Tehran. On June 22, the U.S. joined the operation, striking the same sites with B-2 Spirit bombers and submarines. As a result, according to Iran's Tasnim news agency, the Islamic Republic's air force lost up to 30 percent of its outdated aircraft, including the F-4 Phantom and F-14 Tomcat purchased under the Shah.