Photos:
ISNA
Tehran, Sept 20, IRNA
& Press TV - Two fighter
planes from the Azarakhsh (Thunder) fighter generation were successfully tested
in Tehran at the presence of Defense Minister Brigadier General Mostafa
Mohammad-Najjar Thursday morning.
The fighter planes, named Saeqeh (Thunderbolt), are
the second type of Azarakhsh fighters.
They were tested by pilots of the Army's air force
during a ceremony at Tehran Mehrabad International Airport.
The ceremony was attended by head of Majlis National Security and Foreign
Policy Commission, Alaeddin Boroujerdi as well as a number of other senior
officials from Army and Defense Ministry.
The planes will officially join Army's air force
fleet on September 22 which is celebrated in Iran as the national 'Army Day.' On
this day which marks the anniversary of Iraq's imposed war against Iran in 1980,
various parts of Iran's armed forces will demonstrate their defense power by
going on parade.
Saeqeh, a joint product of the IRI Air Force and
Iran's Defense Ministry, has been described as an aircraft similar to the
American F-18 fighter jet.
Last month, Iran also demonstrated a new fighter jet
for the first time, which was modeled on the American F-5 but built using
domestic technology.
The Azarakhsh jet made a successful flight in the Iran's central city of
Isfahan in a ceremony attended by Iran's Defense Minister Mostafa Mohammad
Najjar and other officials in August.
The development of the aircraft was first announced
in September 2006, when military officials said that it would be "comparable" to
the US F-5 fighter jet.
Following the successful flight of Azarakhsh fighter jet, Iranian
Defense Minister, Brigadier General Mostafa Mohammad Najjar said that Saeqeh,
which is the second generation of the Azarakhsh fighter jets, would also launch
official flights in the Iranian air space in the near future. 
