Tasnim � The Ilyushin transport aircraft in the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps� possession have been adapted to carry out aerial firefighting operations, a senior IRGC commander said, noting that the task has been fully performed by local experts.

In an interview with Tasnim, General Shamseddin Farzadipoor, commander of aerial operation of the IRGC Aerospace Force, said his personnel have modified the Ilyushin transport planes to perform aerial firefighting operations.

He said the IRGC forces have made the necessary modifications to the transport plane single-handedly, without having access to any blueprint or design for airborne firefighting systems suitable for Ilyushin.

Designed and manufactured by local experts, the firefighting system mounted on Ilyushin has enabled the aircraft to carry 40 tons of water, which could be discharged onto the fire zone in 10 to 20 seconds, he added.

He further touched on the IRGC�s success in increasing the efficiency of Sukhoi Su-22 fighter jets by developing advanced weapons, saying a warplane furnished with smart bombs and weapons with pin-point accuracy would not need to carry a heavy load of weapons for a single operation.

While Sukhoi Su-22 can carry up to four tons of arms, the IRGC�s advances in developing smart, pinpoint-hitting weapons have greatly improved the efficiency of the fighter jet, the commander said.

In comments in June, Commander of the IRGC Aerospace Force Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh announced that the IRGC�s fighter jets will be equipped with cruise missiles with a range of 1,500 kilometers.

Iranian military experts and technicians have in recent years made great headways in manufacturing a broad range of indigenous equipment, making the armed forces self-sufficient in the arms sphere.

Tehran has always assured other nations that its military might poses no threat to regional countries, saying that the Islamic Republic�s defense doctrine is entirely based on deterrence.