A fighter jet is seen at Iran’s underground air base, dubbed ‘Eagle 44’. (Reuters photo)
Iran has unveiled its first underground air base, capable of storing fighter jets armed with long-range cruise missiles. The photos of the air base, released by the official IRNA news agency, show air force personnel and US-built F-4E Phantom II fighter-bombers acquired at the facility before the 1979 revolution, according to Forbes. The base – called Oghab 44 (“Eagle” in Persian) – can accommodate “all types of fighter jets and bombers, in addition to drones,” according to IRNA. The exact location of the base was not disclosed, but state media said it was “at a depth of hundreds of meters below the mountains”.
The Iranian media’s emphasis on the fact that the fighter jets at the air base are armed with long-range cruise missiles strongly suggests that the Islamic Republic intends to use its older fighter jets to destroy nearby targets in the event of an attack. Forbes said further.
“Any attack on Iran by our enemies, including Israel, will trigger a response from our many air bases, including Eagle 44,” said Iran’s Armed Forces Chief of Staff Major General Mohammad Bagheri.
From Al Jazeerathe revelation was made to demonstrate Iran’s airborne military capabilities in response to a joint exercise conducted by the United States and Israel less than two weeks ago.
The aircraft, naval vessels, troops and artillery systems used in the exercise were intended to send a message to Iran amid escalating tensions, the outlet went on to say.
Iranian state television reports this on Twitter video clips of fighter jets that take off during the day and at night to carry out drilling missions.
According to Reuters, the Iranian military in May last year gave details of another underground base, which houses drones, as the country tries to protect military assets against possible airstrikes by regional nemesis Israel.
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