Sourced : Defence World
Russia and Iran are currently negotiating to redeploy Russian bombers to the Iran’s Hamadan airbase for resuming their counter terrorism missions in Syria.
Russian planes first flew to the Iranian airstrip in August but now both countries are allegedly planning to adjust the base for the possible deployment, the Sputnik News reported Saturday.
It will take a week because Antonov An-124 Ruslan and Ilyushin Il-76 strategic airlifters will have to make dozens of flights to prepare Hamadan to host Russian bombers, Sukhoi Su-34s and Tupolev Tu-22M3s, an officials said.
Russia will apparently have to deploy land-based power-driven aircraft beacons, radio communications sets, fuel servicing trucks, electrical ground power units, avionics control and preflight systems and other land-based equipment.
“The major step is to deploy enough air-launched weapons and loaders needed to load airborne weapons aboard the planes,” the official noted. There is no need to construct special hangars for the planes since weather conditions at the base are good. If need be, these facilities could be erected in one to two weeks.
Russian planes carried out several counterterrorism missions in Syria from Hamadan in mid-August. The deployment lasted approximately a week and was the first of its kind in Iran’s modern history.
“Any means, including the redeployment of the Russian Aerospace Forces to Hamadan, are good for counterterrorism.” Igor Zotov, a member of the Russian State Duma’s Defense Committee said.
“If Russia returns to the Iranian base, I think it will be for the best.