Why Does Iran bother to have an Air force?

Why Does McDonalds bother to have the McRib?
Seriously, why?
What's the point if other fast food chains have better BBQ burgers?
Why bother?

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Iraq is like the only other Shia state on the planet, thanks to bush Iraq is now friendly to Iran. Ever wonder how Iran moves it's forces into Syria?

NEW SCENARIO.

IF THE SHAH WAS STILL AROUND WOULD IRAN HAVE A SAUDI ARABIA TIER AIRFORCE OR QATAR?

>sold all our still operating f14s to fucking Iran
>you will never get to fly a tomcat and make the required top gun references

>Theirs only needs to be better than Iraq's
the first gulf war was more than 30 years ago user

Iraq is Iran's puppet state nowadays anyway. Thanks Dubya!

because they understand something that slavs still haven't figured out - that the only way to defend air space is with your own airforce and ground based defenses aren't worth shit

It's better to have a bad AF than none.

They bother w/ the F-5 because of sanctions.

and if they build F-10s as well they can combine them into a fleet of F-15s.

Kek

Their F-14s are still one of the most formidable aircraft being flown in the region that aren't US-controlled.

Much of their stuff seems to be made mostly for domestic propaganda.

>Seriously, why?

>Why does a sovereign nation follow its interests?

Dunno user is a mistery.

Thats the Caspian Basin. Always trouble.

In an aerial combat situation, Iran might indeed get their AF blown to bits but short of that, having an air force is useful for patrols, handing incursions by non-state actors, and creating a cost to any invasion while giving the nation a warning that would allow preparation of their defenses. Buying time has value.

/thread

Maybe, and just mybe, if a war breaks out and the US sends troops to Iran, one old F5 could slip through the US air superiority zones, the SAM covers etc and drop a dumb 450 kg bomb on a bunch of marines and kill, I don't know, maybe 40 or 50. That would be fucking glorious. Sure in this imaginary scenario the F5 would be btfo short after, but one can dream.

You may laugh but that's one step closer to independent production.

>Iran hardly can, either.
They managed to keep them up and running for an 8 year long war, I think they're doing just fine.

Can Bahrain manufacture its own jet fighters? China took a long time to catch up too, they were still churning out early model MiG-21s until quite recently. Being able to buy advanced jets says nothing about a country beyond the fact that they have sufficient funds to do so.

>tfw Iran has Tomcats and we don't

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>they even get to paint theirs in cool ww2 camo

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If you are weak, look like you're strong
If you are strong, look like you're weak
...or something like this...

It makes a lot of sense, but not as in this case, everyone knowing you're actaully weak.

I totally agree, aircraft are a waste of ressources.
they should go into massproduction of ATGMs instead.
This would have a huge impact on conventional- AND insurgence warfare

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The F5 is a nimble little dogfighter. It is still used in adversary training and if somehow it could get past BVR missiles and into gun range it is a decent dogfight versus an F18 if they run out of Aim9x, much moreso if you have more jets than they do.

Honestly nothing wrong with a modernized F-5. If it works, so be it.

i think the idea isn't to go air on air battles but to go against surface targets. they also mas produced f5's so this will be intresting war

Because building good air force is much easier in future if they maintain at least some sort of air force until they have access to modern equipment.