Iran’s homegrown transport plane ‘Simorgh’ is undergoing flight tests and will soon join the country’s fleet, Defense Minister Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Ashtiani said.

According to The Iran Project, talking to reporters on the sidelines of a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Ashtiani said the Defense Ministry is conducting flights tests of Simorgh in cooperation with the Civil Aviation Organization of Iran.

The Iranian transport plane will officially join the country’s fleet afterwards, he added.

The minister noted that the second Simorgh aircraft is now being made in Iran, pointing to cooperation with a number of foreign countries in the manufacturing process.

Simorgh successfully completed its maiden flight in May 2023, a year after it was unveiled.

The aircraft has been designed and manufactured by the Iran Aviation Industries Organization, a subsidiary of the Iranian Defense Ministry.

Authorities say the development of this plane aims to enhance the country's defensive capabilities.