February 15, 2006: Iran is buying Su-25UBT ground attack aircraft from Russia. Three of them are to be delivered this year. The UBT is the latest model of the Su-25, which is similar to the American A-10. The 17 ton aircraft carries up to 4.4 tons of missiles and bombs. The UBT version is also equipped with electronic countermeasures and a fire control system that can handle the latest Russian air-to-ground missiles and smart bombs. No mention was made of Russia selling those munitions (similar to the American Maverick missile and laser guided bombs). But there's no point in buying the UBT model, unless you get the modern munitions that version of the Su-25 can handle. The Su-25 can operate over a thousand kilometers from its base, if it uses drop tanks.