MNA � Commander of Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF) Brigadier General Aziz Nasirzadeh said on Sunday that the force is a powerful one poised to respond and foil any probable foreign threats.

"Iranian Air Force is equipped with modern technology and has a big hand in designing, manufacturing, optimizing, and upgrading equipment," he told reporters on the sidelines of the inauguration ceremony of the Air Force museum.

The Iranian commander referred to the manufacturing of homegrown 'Yasin' and 'Kosar' jet trainers in the past two recent years, noting that the Air Force is still on the same track to manufacture modern equipment.

In late October 2019, Yasin training jet was unveiled with ranking military officials, including Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami, in attendance. Yasin is 12 meters long, four meters high and five and a half tonnes of cargo weight under operational take-off conditions and can fly up to 12 km. It is equipped with a 7,000-pound turbo-jet powered jet engine, which is the world's leading jet fighter engine.

The twin-engined, two-seat Kosar jet successfully ran through test-flights on August 21, 2018, in the presence of President Hassan Rouhani. The event was part of the programs planned to commemorate Iran�s Day of Defense Industry, during which the president is scheduled to deliver a speech. It enjoys many advanced features including an indigenous avionic and fire-control system, multi-function digital displays, ballistic weapon calculator, an advanced HUD system to increase strike precision, and an advanced multifunction fire control radar to boost the identification of targets and threats. �Kosar� is an advanced fighter jet with a Close Air Support (CAS) role that has made Iran one of the few countries with the know-how of designing and manufacturing such jets equipped with 4th generation avionic and fire-control systems.

The Islamic Republic of Iran is one of the few countries in the world that, while under sanctions, has managed to design and manufacture advanced training aircraft by relying on its most experienced and talented youth in cooperation with knowledge-based firms and private sector companies, Hatami said in the ceremony.