<div style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: 1rem;"><b>Iran’s ageing helicopter fleet was pushed into the spotlight after a crash last week claimed the lives of President Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, and seven others.</b></span><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Anadolu correspondent compiled the information about the condition and maintenance of the helicopters in Iran's military inventory.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The decades-old fleet comprising various models all procured before the 1979 Islamic Revolution reportedly faces significant maintenance and parts supply challenges due to prolonged international sanctions. These issues have severely affected their operability, leaving the exact number of functional airframes unclear.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">US-made helicopters</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A substantial portion of Iran’s helicopter fleet consists of American-made choppers, including Sikorsky SH-3 Sea Kings, RH-53D Sea Stallions, Boeing CH-47 Chinooks, and various Bell models. These helicopters were acquired before the 1979 revolution.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Iran operates eight Sikorsky SH-3 Sea Kings, initially designed for anti-submarine warfare but later adapted for VIP transport.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The country’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei rarely uses helicopters, preferring airplanes even for short domestic trips despite having a fleet capable of VIP transport.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">These helicopters were used by the US Navy from 1961 to 2006 when they were eventually retired.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Iran also possesses several RH-53D Sea Stallions, primarily obtained for naval mine-laying tasks.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The helicopter made its first flight in 1964 and entered service in 1966, before being retired from active duty in 2020.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The tandem-rotor Boeing CH-47 Chinook, known for its heavy-lift capabilities, also features prominently in the Iranian fleet.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Iran received over 100 Chinooks from the US before the revolution but several were lost during the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Additionally, models like the Bell 206, Bell 212, and Bell 214 are part of Iran’s inventory, though their operational status remains uncertain due to maintenance challenges. A Bell 212 was carrying President Raisi and his entourage.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Iranian army currently has 32 Bell 212s and Bell 214s.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Iran has two Bell 412 helicopters, an improved version of the Bell 212 that made its first flight in 1979.</div><div style="text-align: justify; "><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Finally, Iran holds 12 US-built Kaman HH-43 Huskie helicopters, which initially flew in 1953 and were retired in the 1970s. There is no evidence as to whether Tehran actively uses them.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">bnbd/fas</div>