Rio de Janeiro— I spoke with Lt. Brig. Afshin Khajehfard, the chief of the Iran Aviation Industries Organization (IAIO) and one of the most strongly sanctioned people in the world’s defense industry, on an unplanned basis here on April 2.
It began with a startling discovery in the Latin American Aerospace and Defense (LAAD) exhibition Hall 4. The Iranian Ministry of Defense was represented by a large display of models showcasing a wide range of the Islamic Republic’s in-house weapons, drones, sensors, jet engines, and military trainer planes.
I was halted as I stopped to take in the display and rummage through my hazy recollection of texts I’ve read about Iran’s expanding influence in South America.
“Could you tell me who you are?” a booth representative said. His stance was courteous rather than menacing.
I reflexively showed him my pass, which recognized me as a press member from the U.S. Aviation Week.
“Aviation Week, huh? We are aware of this. Do you have any inquiries? His tone was helpful as he asked.
Yes, I did. What kind of jet engine is that? He clarified that Iran’s subsonic Yasin trainer is a subsonic turbojet developed and reverse-engineered from the General Electric J85. So why does it have an afterburner, I asked? He said Iran’s formerly J85-equipped Northrop F-5 derivatives, including the Saeqeh, are powered by the afterburner version of the Yasin, while there is a non-afterburning version. He stated that Iran aviation can produce 12 of the engines annually.
This conversation continued for a few minutes as other models’ details were discussed around the booth. Then, however, he paused to follow a second man in an Iranian uniform who had just walked into the booth and headed for an inside conference room. “Would you like to interview the director of Iran’s aviation industry?” my host asked me sharply after the man had disappeared.
“Yes,” I replied right away.
“Come along,” he said.
A short while later, I found myself in an internal meeting room with the head of Iran’s aircraft sector perched at the top of eight luxurious white armchairs arranged in horseshoes. As I sat down beside him, I noticed that his name tag said “A. Khajehfard.” Last September, I recalled reporting from both the northern and southern borders of Israel, cautiously watching the skies for any indications that his organization’s drones and missiles were approaching. He was now present, greeting me and waiting for me to pose my first query. The world is little.
If I had even a few minutes to get ready for this unique chance, I would have looked through the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute database and discovered that Iran aviation has been engaged in South America, providing Venezuela with CM-90 Nasr anti-ship missiles and Mohajer uncrewed aircraft systems. Additionally, I would have located a 2023 report from the Institute for the Study of War that discussed a defense agreement between Iran aviation and Bolivia that might result in the provision of reconnaissance drones. Furthermore, a little Google search would have informed me that Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva hailed Iran’s entry into the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) consortium last year.
In any case, Khajehfard claimed to be the director of development and manufacturing but refused to respond to inquiries about export prospects in Latin America. Someone else is in charge of sales, particularly those made abroad.
“What are your top priorities for technology development?” I inquired.
In response, Khajehfard changed the subject and bemoaned the international penalties imposed on himself and his group.
“We cannot discuss any aviation, UAV, or ground-based technology research [with potential customers] due to sanctions conditions,” Khajehfard stated via an interpreter. “These conditions also prevent us from having good cooperation and collaboration with other countries.”
He answered more detailed follow-up inquiries despite such limitations. In propulsion, Khajefard indicated that work is in progress on a new turboprop engine for the Simorgh cargo plane, a reverse-engineered version of the Ukrainian-built An-140’s IrAn-140 variant. The IrAn-140’s original engine supplier, Motor Sich of Ukraine, has suffered severe damage to its facility as a result of multiple missile attacks by Russia, a customer of Iranian armaments.
I inquired about the lessons Iran aviation is using in its new missile designs about ammunition. Khajefard stated that they are refining designs in response to operator input, but he would not elaborate.
I saw a model of a mechanically scanned synthetic aperture radar in Iran’s booth. I questioned Khajefard about Iran’s interest in active electronically scanned arrays and whether the country is developing any new radar technologies.
“We are creating radars for the air, land, and sea,” Khajefard stated. “We have worked on detecting aircraft with low radar cross-section in particular.”
By this time, I saw that a photographer had come in to take images of our interview. I thanked him for attempting to answer my questions, but I was suspicious that my hurriedly scheduled interview was a ruse to create some cheap propaganda, so I got up to go. There was still more for Khajefard to say.
“I read your articles in Aviation Week,” he remarked.
I said, “Thank you,” and walked away.
You can read aviation news here!