The Iranian Army has unveiled its first underground Air Force base,
called “Oqab 44” (Eagle 44), which is capable of storing and operating
various types of fighter jets, bombers and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff of the Iranian Armed
Forces Major General Mohammad Baqeri and Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi,
the chief commander of the Iranian Army, visited the underground base on Tuesday.
Consisting of various sections, such as an alert area, command post, warplane hangars,
repair and maintenance center, navigation and airport equipment,
and fuel tanks, the tactical airbase can accommodate and prepare various aircraft,
including fighter jets, bombers, and unmanned aerial vehicles, for missions.
The large subterranean airbase can also receive the Air Force’s new
fighter jets and gear them up for missions, among other functions.
Oghab-44 is one of the several tactical underground bases of the Islamic Republic
of Iran Air Force (IRIAF) that has been constructed across the country in recent
years given the operational needs of the Air Force units and the civil defense requirements.
Capable of accommodating the fighter jets in safe locations and equipping the planes with
electronic warfare systems and various bombs and missiles, the underground bases allow for standoff
aerial operations and extend the strategic range of attacks against distant targets.
The IRIAF had earlier unveiled an underground drone base dubbed
‘Drone Base 313’, a process that shows the Army has a comprehensive
plan to establish subterranean bases in the aviation field.
Speaking at the ceremony, Major General Abdolrahim
Mousavi said Oqab-44 is one of the “combined” bases of the IRIAF,
meaning both manned and unmanned aircraft carry out missions from the tactical base.
Stressing that the IRIAF’s “equipment has been upgraded from tactical to strategic in accordance
with the threats and type of missions," Mousavi said the new weapons and equipment installed on
the fighters are state-of-the-art and projected for possible engagement with strategic targets.
The commander said such bases are of a reserve and support to the armed forces,
and “whenever the situation calls for … these bases have the ability to do great things.”
“These bases have created the possibility of necessary actions and reactions that enemies
cannot expect in different areas,” Mousavi added.
“Our bases, and of course some operational bases, will host all kinds of fighters in the future.”
On the sidelines of the unveiling ceremony,
the long-range air-launched cruise missile "Asef" was also showcased.
The missile is equipped with a warhead that features a high
destructive and explosive power and can destroy heavy fortifications.
The Asef missile, which is manufactured by Iranian experts, is mounted on the Sukhoi 24 fighter jet.
The Iranian Armed Forces have constructed underground bases over the recent decades.
Back in March 2021, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC)
built its first ever underground base or city to protect its missile units.
On Reuters, Iran revealed an underground air force base, called "Eagle 44" and the first
of its kind large enough to house fighter jets, the official IRNA news agency said.
The "Eagle 44" base is capable of storing and operating fighter jets and drones,
IRNA said. The report did not elaborate on the location of the base.
IRNA said it was one of the country's most important air force bases,
built deep underground, housing fighters equipped with long-range cruise missiles.
In May, Iran's army gave details about another underground base, which houses drones, as the
country seeks to protect military assets from potential air strikes by regional arch foe Israel.
"Any attack on Iran from our enemies, including Israel,
will see a response from our many air force bases including Eagle
44," Iran's armed forces' Chief of Staff Mohammad Bagheri told state TV.
In addition, the air force base will allow the Iranian military to carry out surprise
airborne operations far from the expectations of the country's enemies, according to Tasnim News.
The base was visited by a number of high-ranking Iranian military officials
ahead of its official unveiling in Iran's state media outlets.