Special report: Iran Nuclear Crisis

    TEHRAN, Sept. 6 (Xinhua) -- Iranian army deployed the country's first homemade fighter-bomber jets Wednesday in an ongoing military exercise, the state-run television reported.

    "The bomber Saegheh or lightening was designed, optimized and improved by our own experts. It is similar to F-18 (U.S. fighter jets) but more powerful," said the report.

    The Iranian air force has commissioned Saegheh after many test flights in the past year, the report added.

    According to the TV footage, the fighter-bomber jet with only one pilot in a small cockpit was launching two rockets.

    The plane can carry both rockets and bombs, said the report. The Iranian army launched the large-scale military exercise since Aug. 19 and will continue for about five weeks.

    In the past two weeks, Iran has tested some new weapons, such as sub-to-surface missile, "Air Mining System" and short-range surface-to-surface missile. Enditem