Iran has rolled out its new indigenous fighter, conducting test flights Sept. 20 of two aircraft that the Islamic Republic News Agency said would join the Iranian Air Force on Saturday. The Associated Press news service reports that Tehran has begun production of the new fighters, which reportedly were derived from re-engineered US aircraft. (AP article via the International Herald Tribune.)
The Air Force displayed all the firepower it has amassed on Okinawa in an unusually diverse show of force this week. IIn a May 6 “Elephant Walk,” Kadena Air Base showcased 24 F-35A Lightning II stealth fighters, eight F-15E Strike Eagles; two U.S. Army Patriot anti-missile batteries near the runway; and…