Iran says "radar evading" fighter jet almost ready

PanARMENIAN.Net - Iran has entered into the final stage of production of a home-made fighter jet dubbed Qaher 313, which is capable of evading radars, Defense World reports.

“The plane is ready for different tests,” Iran’s Defense Minister Hossein Dehqan said. The fighter will start flying next year from March 21."

Iran’s then-president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in 2013 first unveiled the Qaher 313, saying it has capability to evade radar systems.

Meanwhile, Israeli aeronautics expert Tal Inbar told Maariv at the time that the plane showcased in the Iranian media looked more like a fiberglass or cardboard model.

“It’s not a plane, because that’s not how a real plane looks like,” he said.

"While the plane displayed by the Iranian press was clearly not a working prototype, it integrated advanced stealth design with extreme maneuverability," an Israeli aerospace engineer said to the Times of Israel on condition of anonymity said.

While the Qaher’s design lacked bombing capability, it had the potential to be an effective interceptor capable of defending Iran’s skies from aerial threats, he added.

Dehqan’s announcement about the Qaher 313 follows a report from the Iranian state television, suggesting that the advanced S-300 air defense system, which the Islamic Republic bought from Russia, is now operational.

Iran has developed a home-made version of the S-300, which it calls Bavar 373. "The final operational tests of Bavar 373 will be carried out in late May," Dehqan said on Sunday, March 5.

"Full battlefield operation tests on Bavar 373 system have been planned for May 23," Dehqan added.