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The Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force '''(IRIAF)''' is the Aviation Branch of the Iranian Armed Forces . HISTORY See Also: History of the Iranian Air Force The IRIAF began as the Imperial Iranian Air Force (IIAF) which was established in 1920 by the Shah, Reza Pahlavi, and became operational with its first pilots fully trained on Feb. 25, 1925. See History Of The Iranian Air Force . Up until World War II, the IIAF's aircraft inventory consisted entirely of European (mainly German) aircraft, however following a coordinated British and Russian invasion of Iran during World War II in retaliation for Reza Shah I's declaration of neutrality, the IIAF's bases were occupied by the allies and all existing IIAF aircraft were either destroyed or dismantled by the invading British. The overthrow of the Shah by the Islamic Revolution changed the organization of the Iranian military. The air force itself was decimated by purges and many pilots were removed or left the country. This left the air force ill prepared for the Iran-Iraq War . Due to strained relations with the west, Iran had to procure new equipment from Brazil , Russia and the People's Republic Of China . Since the Revolution, the exact composition of the IRIAF is hard to determine, but estimates do exist. Many aircraft belonging to the Iraqi Air Force took refuge in Iran during the Persian Gulf War , and many were put into service with the IRIAF or taken apart for spare parts. Due to the continuous spare parts shortages faced by the air force, a decision was made in the late 1990s to develop a local aerospace industry to support the air force. MARKINGS The IRIAF markings are no different than those used by the IIAF, the only difference being that planes of the IRIAF are marked as such, while IIAF jets were marked as such. The roundel remains unchanged, and is the standard roundel consisting of three concentric circles. The outside circle being green, the middle circle being white, and the inside circle being red. The fin flash is a simplification of the Flag Of Iran with the symbol removed. SEE ALSO EXTERNAL LINKS
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