By taking advantage of available software capabilities and capacities created in aerospace industries, certain types of airplanes have been manufactured in the country. Manufacturers of Iran-140 say this plane can be manufactured under conditions equal to rival planes, but there are no adequate supporting laws to promote the goals of the domestic aerospace industry.

Domestic aerospace industry can be developed by providing a suitable scientific atmosphere and legal frameworks. However, many infrastructures should be built rapidly for the development of a domestic aerospace industry. Under the present circumstances, anybody who intends to purchase a plane similar to Iran-140 from other countries can do so without paying duties and there are no laws preventing it.

Early last year, some officials of the domestic airlines stated that the country has no need for such planes, so why are we manufacturing it inside the country? But later during the same year six similar airplanes were purchased by domestic airlines from other countries through finance. The question is if there was no need for such planes why did they buy them from other countries? And if there is a need why should we open our market to foreigners without taking any duties or concessions from them? Are foreigners ready to share their facilities, capacities and power with Iran even if we pay for it?

The Americans have been putting sanctions on Iran preventing its purchase of modern airplanes for years. They are not even willing to sell Boeings and Airbuses to Iran, and since certain parts of such planes are made in the U.S. other companies manufacturing these planes are not authorized to sell those parts to Iran either. This means that power, dominance and technology are in the hands of the Great Satan and no company is allowed to disobey it.

We must also take advantage of our tools for reinforcement of our aerospace industry. Aerospace industry is very expensive and its development needs huge investments. This cannot be achieved without scientific, intellectual, financial, administrative and legal investments. Domestic universities can play a substantial role in this regard. Of course, scientific and cultural support is not enough per se. Political and psychological support is also necessary. Universities can provide this support. They can protest wrong foreign purchases and opening of domestic markets to foreign products. Universities can take decisive steps for supporting domestic industries. At present, the whole world is trying to capture the space. If Iran does not take appropriate steps in this regard, it will rapidly lose its influence. Unfortunately, some great powers do not want other independent countries to enter this field and they do not want to allow countries like Iran to fill their technological gap with them.

I believe that one of the biggest challenges facing our country in this regard is a cultural and intellectual challenge. The biggest challenge facing domestic aerospace industry is that some experts believe our country should stay away from this level of technology. Iran Aviation Industries Organization recently announced that it can carry out basic repairs on wide-bodied Boeing 747 planes and it can gain a foothold in Middle Eastern markets in the near future.

Also it was announced during the current year that any domestic organization that intends to purchase helicopters can order them from Panha Company. Fortunately, there are prominent experts in Iran and its aerospace industry which can do this. Human development in the aerospace sector starts with accepting orders. The Islamic Republic of Iran’s Aerospace Industries Organization can compete for manufacturing choppers needed inside the country under equal conditions. The most important capabilities of our country for developing aerospace industry include organizations and structures that can meet most of the country’s requirements by relying on their valuable manpower.

At present, Tavanir and Sakheh companies as well as the Red Crescent Society need choppers for their missions. If they fulfill their needs from other countries, they have helped solve industrial problems of those countries. Therefore, given the interest of directors of these companies in development of domestic aerospace industry, they are supposed to order what they need from domestic industries.

Fortunately, there are many capabilities for basic repairs of various kinds of airplanes and choppers inside the country. We must do our best to develop these capabilities. As a result of Iran’s Islamic revolution, many activities that were carried out by American advisors for meeting the interests of the Americans during the previous regime are currently carried out at a much higher quality standard by knowledgeable Iranians and their skills have progressed as far as manufacturing many complicated airplane parts as well as designing and manufacturing different kinds of choppers and airplanes.