Iranian Army overhauls F-4 fighter jet: Report

Experts with the Iranian Air Force have successfully overhauled an F-4 fighter, rendering it airworthy, news agencies reported on Sunday.

The 1.5-year-long project at the Shahid Lashkari Air Force Base in northern Tehran Province was finished, using up to 18,000 man-hours, Tasnim News Agency reported on Sunday.

The aircraft had been grounded for years before the overhaul process began. It has undergone a final test and restored to the Air Force’s fleet.

The news of the overhaul came as Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami said on Sunday Iran’s Armed Forces are not afraid of any enemy.

“Today, notwithstanding all the enemies’ hue and cry, our beloved nation stands steadfast courageously and powerfully,” he told a group of military cadets in Tehran.

“Thank God, the enemies have fallen short of realizing all their objectives so far,” he added.

Iran’s Armed Forces, he said, are capable of guaranteeing security in the region. “Today, we are honored to be pushing for maintaining stability and security in the region,” Hatami said.

The Global Firepower List 2018 has ranked various countries in accordance with their defensive strength, placing the Islamic Republic on the 13th position above Israel and Saudi Arabia.

This is while Tel Aviv and Riyadh enjoy open-handed military support from the United States, and their military spending rises well above Iran, whose defense budget is even less than that of the United Arab Emirates, according to officials.