GLOBAL DEFENSE's video: Iran s aging air force war planes continue to crash and pilots are suffering the consequences

Iran's aging air force , war planes continue to crash, and pilots are suffering the consequences. Iran has lost at least five fighter jets since 2018, according to Forbes. Three of the crashes involved Northrop F-5E Tiger jets. An F-5 crashed in 2018, killing the pilot. In February 2022, another F-5 crashed, killing two more pilots. On May 25 of this year, another F-5 crashed in Isfahan province, killing both pilots. The F-5s were part of a stream of military hardware purchased by the Shah, the autocratic ruler of Iran. The Shah, flush with hard currency from oil sales, purchased British tanks and ships; German rifles; and American fighter jets, tanks, and other armored vehicles to create what was, at the time, the most powerful military force in the Persian Gulf.