Reddit reviews IRIAF 2010: The Modern Iranian Air Force

That's right: the IRIAF was massively re-wamped in period 2008-2011, with results that could be seen here, for example: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0982553935?*Version*=1&*entries*=0

But, ever since, Tehran is in such financial troubles (discussed already elsewhere), that most of the air force is de-facto grounded. Every IRIAF unit is authorised only to maintain a max of 4-6 aircraft in operational condition, and flying is down to an absolute minimum.

For example: the 72nd TFS - IRIAF's sole Su-24-unit - currently has only 5 aircraft in FMC condition. Even if Russians would help with maintenance and spares, as cited in the first report announcing deployment of Iranian air force to Syria, it would take them months to return all of about 25 Iranian Su-24s to FMC-condition, and then additional months to train enough crews.

If you want to read up on the history of combat aviation in Iran's Air force, I recommend you talk to /u/x_tc_x. Who is he?

He is an Austrian military aviation author and co-author of these books:

1

2

3

4

He is pretty active on reddit and comments on the Syrian Civil war conflict almost everyday.

Edit: I read the 3rd book and while it mostly focuses on the Arab-Israeli wars, it taught me some things that surprised me and fell in place quite nicely given other things that I knew of these wars. So, I definitely recommend all 4 books. I only skimmed through the 2nd and 4th books.