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Iran may finally receive the advanced Russian Su-35 fighter jets it has been seeking for years, but analysts are skeptical that a few dozen of the jets will make up for the damage Israel has inflicted on Iran's air defenses over the past year, Business Insider reports.
The author of the publication acknowledges that Iran’s aging air force has long needed new aircraft, and the Su-35 does have significant capabilities for protecting Iran’s airspace. But what the Russians will provide is “too little, too late,” says Arash Azizi, a senior lecturer in history and political science at Clemson University (USA).
"It won't do much to fill the gaps that Iran will have against adversaries like Israel. It will be a drop in the ocean," he is convinced.
The exact number of aircraft Iran and Russia agreed on is still a question. The numbers range from 24 to 50. According to Middle East expert Freddy Queiry, these aircraft in such numbers cannot be a full-fledged replacement for ground-based anti-aircraft missile systems, such as the Soviet S-300. Last year, Iran lost all of them in another wave of confrontation with Israel.
“While modern fighter jets can deter enemy operations and bolster interception capabilities, they work most effectively in conjunction with robust surface-to-air defenses. Therefore, replacing the lost S-300 systems remains crucial to any comprehensive and multi-layered air defense strategy for Iran,” said Huwayri.
However, although the Su-35 is inferior to Israel's American-made F-35I stealth aircraft, it will still pose a problem for the Israelis, experts say. On October 26, when Israeli aircraft destroyed the remnants of Iranian air defenses, several aircraft probably flew into Iranian airspace. Now they will avoid it, experts say.
But it is possible that the Israelis will strike again with a decisive blow to destroy or at least prevent the Iranians from effectively using the new Russian aircraft.
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