Report: Underground Air Base in Iran Ready To Receive Advanced Russian Fighter Jets

A new underground air base in Iran that goes by the moniker Eagle 44 is being prepared to house advanced Russian fighter jets, The New York Times reported over the weekend. A fleet of Russian Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets reportedly is scheduled to arrive in Iran later this year, according to reports. Iran unveiled the Eagle 44 site, its first underground air force base, earlier this month, and threatened to respond to any attacks by Israel from the base. Images released by Iran at the time of the announcement, as well as satellite images of the site, have led to the conclusion that Iran is preparing for the arrival of 24 of the advanced Russian fighter jets. The Times report said the base is located in a mountainous area in Iran’s southern Hormozgan Province, about 100 miles north of the Strait of Hormuz. The new underground base likely was designed for the new Su-35s, though Russia has not confirmed the sale. The unveiling of the underground base comes as Iran has been moving much of its critical military infrastructure underground. It is not clear if the intended use of the underground facility has always been for an air force base; historical satellite imagery of the area found that construction activity started in August 2013, according to The Times.