The Iranian Simorgh: A Bird Rising from Sanctions
WANA (Nov 01) – In the silence of Western media, Iran has reached a stage where fewer than twenty countries in the world stand: the design and production of a complete aircraft entirely within its own borders.
The Simorgh transport aircraft, which recently began its test flights in Shahin Shahr, Isfahan, is the first domestically designed, assembled, and tested plane in Iran’s aviation industry. It marks the country’s return to the small club of nations capable of manufacturing aircraft from scratch.
Contrary to claims made by foreign outlets, the Simorgh project is not a simple reproduction of Ukraine’s An-140 model. Its roots go back to the unfinished “Iran-140” project—a joint effort with Ukraine’s Antonov company in the 2000s that was halted after the Crimea crisis and Western sanctions.
The Simorgh transport plane. Social Media / WANA News Agency
When cooperation was cut off, many assumed the production line would be abandoned for good. Instead, Iranian engineers chose a different path: redesigning, indigenizing the components, and converting the passenger plane into a military transport aircraft codenamed Simorgh.
According to Hossein Pourfarzaneh, head of Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization, “Fewer than twenty countries in the world possess the ability to design and produce aircraft, and the Islamic Republic of Iran is among them—having acquired the technical know-how to build a transport aircraft through the efforts of its young experts.”
Technical Features and Strategic Mission
The Simorgh is powered by two 2,500-horsepower engines, with a maximum takeoff weight of 21,500 kilograms and a payload capacity of six tons over a range of 3,900 kilometers. While these figures place it in the mid-range category of transport aircraft globally, for a country excluded from the world’s aviation supply chain for decades, the achievement is remarkable.
Defense analysts believe the project goes beyond logistics and could serve as Iran’s platform for developing its first indigenous AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System)—a “flying radar” capable of monitoring airspace hundreds of kilometers away, and a crucial component in modern warfare.
The Simorgh transport plane. Social Media / WANA News Agency
Given that Simorgh can carry more than six tons of payload, it could potentially host a radar system weighing between 3.6 and 5 tons—a step that would give Iran an independent airborne surveillance capability in the region.
Brigadier General Afshin Khajehfard, Iran’s Deputy Defense Minister, emphasized during the test flight that “the goal of building Simorgh is not merely to produce an aircraft, but to establish the infrastructure for the next generation of Iranian multi-role planes.”
In a region where the skies are tightly monitored by Western defense systems, developing an indigenous AWACS capability would allow Iran to reclaim independence in aerial and radar data—an area where it has long relied on Russian satellite information or its own ground-based systems.
Iran Unveils Indigenous “Simorgh” Aircraft with AWACS Capabilities
WANA (Oct 30) – The Iranian Ministry of Defense has designed, produced, and operationalized a domestically built aircraft with functionalities similar to an Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS). The Iranian aircraft, named Simorgh, has successfully completed its flight tests and began certification trials on Tuesday in Shahin Shahr, Isfahan, according to official reports. […]
Simorgh as a Political Message
At first glance, the project may seem purely technical; yet beneath the surface, Simorgh carries a political message. For years, Iran has faced restrictions in the aviation sector—from purchasing commercial aircraft to sourcing military components.
Building a domestic transport aircraft means:
- Tehran no longer needs to wait for Boeing or Airbus export licenses.
- Under sanctions, it can meet its logistical and humanitarian needs independently.
- From a deterrence standpoint, it is gradually moving toward developing a self-sustaining support fleet.
In essence, the project is a showcase of technological resilience, carrying strategic implications for Washington and its allies: Iran is shaping what could be described as resilient industrial independence.
International Reactions and Western Misreadings
The Ukrainian outlet Militarnyi was the first foreign media to report Simorgh’s flight, describing it as “an attempt to revive the military version of the An-140.” Many Western reports echoed this sentiment with a tone of irony—as if Iran had merely refurbished old technology.
Yet this reading misses the core point:
Iran has achieved this milestone despite the fact that nearly the entire global aircraft supply chain is controlled by Western corporations. Producing even a 21-ton aircraft domestically is, therefore, an act of industrial sovereignty—much like Iran’s early satellite launches, once dismissed but later recognized as a field of strategic competition.
According to experts from Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization, the Simorgh’s production cost is 50–60% lower than comparable foreign models. Combined with the direct employment generated through the Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industrial Company (HESA) and dozens of subcontractors, the project serves as a driver of Iran’s knowledge-based economy.
Iran Unveils Indigenous “Simorgh” Aircraft with AWACS Capabilities
The name Simorgh itself is symbolic—a mythical bird in Persian literature representing wisdom, freedom, and rebirth. Choosing it for Iran’s first indigenous aircraft after decades of stagnation in aviation is no coincidence. In Persian mythology, Simorgh rises from its own ashes—a fitting metaphor for Iran’s aerospace industry emerging from years of sanctions and isolation.
Though Simorgh’s flight does not yet mark Iran’s entry into the global aviation market, it represents a turning point—one that could redefine the country’s aerospace future. If the Defense Ministry and HESA’s follow-up plans proceed, future versions could evolve into rescue, reconnaissance, or even light passenger aircraft.
Simorgh remains in its testing phase, but it is less the end of a project than the beginning of a journey—one that could transform Iran from an aircraft consumer into an aircraft producer.
Iran Unveils Indigenous “Simorgh” Aircraft with AWACS Capabilities
