Israel and the United States have dealt a significant blow to Iran’s aging air force, exposing the severe limitations of a fleet largely made up of decades-old aircraft. Many of the planes still in operation are so outdated they have been compared to museum pieces, kept flying only through improvised maintenance and scarce spare parts.

Several of Iran’s aircraft date back to the mid-twentieth century. The Su-24, a Russian tactical bomber first introduced in the early 1970s, has not been produced for more than three decades. The F-4 Phantom, which entered service in the early 1960s, has been out of production for nearly half a century.

Other jets, including the F-5 fighter whose first flight was in 1959, are of a similar vintage. The reliance on such aging platforms has left Iran’s air force increasingly vulnerable against modern fighter aircraft deployed by its adversaries.