The Azarakhsh, Iran's first domestically manufactured combat aircraft.

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Good fit for Iran's AF. Low tech, easy to fly, easy to maintain, poor man's jet.

But no competion for a high tech, modern AF fighter.
 
Hunter368 said:
Good fit for Iran's AF. Low tech, easy to fly, easy to maintain, poor man's jet.

But no competion for a high tech, modern AF fighter.
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I'd agree with that hunter but then that is perfect for them. As say though the moment it meets a modern fighter it will become mincemeat. Look at that photo you posted Joe, at first glace I thought it was the same aircraft but only closer examination you notice the slight differences between the two.
 
An F-20 it is not and that puts it into a late 60s early 70s F-5 capability. I too agree with the assessment that this is just another kluge that Iran has put together to spend the masses money upon. Note that perhaps the only redeeming quality of some high altitude stealth has been abandoned by not adopting the above fuselage intakes. However, as the other post noted, that was likely impractical based upon engine stall characteristics in high AOA for close in furballs. Cute though.
 
I'm no expert on modern military aircraft. Especially not an F-5, but that has to be the ugliest thing I've ever seen since the JSF reject! What was it again the X34. I'm sorry if I got it wrong, but after seeing that thing my brain suddenly went into a seizure.
 
I still dont think they are building or designing the aircraft. I think they dont have the spare parts to maintain there F-5s so they modified one and are taking parts from there aircraft to make 30 servicible improved modified F-5s. Nothing more...
 
You know, I was thinking that too. However, I just read a extensive article in Aviation Week that indicates that Iran is still flying F-14s!!! Apparently they are using 1or 2 squadrons as part of their radar fence with the AWG-9. Article claims that they have been spotted with sidewinder, Phoenix and Phoenix training loads. Certainly 30 year old missile hardware is likely to be more dangerous for the launching aircraft than the target, but who knows. Maybe they have a couple/few that turn out not to be duds. That could be potentially dangerous. The article did not mention any use of indigenous aircraft and certainly not any F-5 derivatives. Only F-14, F-4, F-5, Mirage F1, Mig 29, and Chinese F-7. So perhaps only a couple of F-5 knockoffs with twin tails. That would seem to back up DerAdler's comment.
 
I have also read on the Iranian F-14s and it is not believed that more than 2 or 3 are still flyable from the orginal amount. Due to a ban on sales of weaponry from the US to Iran they were not able to get the spare parts to keep them all up so they had to take parts from others to make the remaining F-14s fly.
 
Here is some more info on Irans Airforce. Info is taken from GlobalSecurity.org - Reliable Security Information

Throughout the 1970s, Iran purchased sophisticated aircraft for the air force. The acquisition of 77 F-14A Tomcat fighters added to 166 F-5 fighters and 190 F-4 Phantom fighter-bombers, gave Iran a strong defensive and a potential offensive capability. Before the end of his reign, the shah placed orders for F-16 fighters and even contemplated the sharing of development costs for the United States Navy's new F-18 fighter. Both of these combat aircraft have been dropped from the revolutionary regime's military acquisitions list, however.

By 1987, however, the air force faced an acute shortage of spare parts and replacement equipment. Perhaps 35 of the 190 Phantoms were serviceable in 1986. One F-4 had been shot down by Saudi F-15s, and two pilots had defected to Iraq with their F-4s in 1984. The number of F-5s dwindled from 166 to perhaps 45, and the F-14 Tomcats from 77 to perhaps 10. The latter were hardest hit because maintenance posed special difficulties after the United States embargo on military sales.

As of 2000 it was estimated that only 40 of the 132 F-4Ds, 177 F-4Es and 16 RF-4E. Phantoms delivered before 1979 remained in service. At that time, approximately 45 of the 169 F-5E/Fs delivered are still flying, while perhaps 20 F-14A Tomcats of the 79 initially delivered were airworthy. Another 30 F-4s, 30 F-5s and 35 F-14s have been cannibalized for spare parts. One report suggested that the IRIAF can get no more than seven F-14s airborne at any one time. Iran claims to have fitted F-14s with I-Hawk missiles adapted to the air-to-air role.
 
And as I speculated that the Azarakhsh (Lightning) was just a modified F-5 that is the case, and is just a scaled up version of the F-5.

Azarakhsh (Lightning)

According to one theory, Iran cobbled together an aircraft by reverse-engineered elements from a number of other aircraft. Evidently a modified F-5, this Iranian design evolved from an examination of the wide variety of fighter aircraft in Iran's inventory [which include both the F-4 and F-5], along with training and experimentation.

A scaled-up version of the US Northrop Grumman F-5f Tiger, Azarakhsh features shoulder mounted air intakes.
 
I still think they will be next useless in their part of the globe. The United States is know for developing some of the most technologically advanced equipment. However with Technology comes a lot more maintenance hours and the fact that Iran is technically in the desert doesn't help.

Also, like you guys said the planes they do have are obsolete by more than 30years. On top of that I'm not sure how well Iran trains their boys. There is no way they could be better trained than than well let's admit any country, even China.

I must say that if Iran is thinking about starting a fight, especially an air war. They are not going to like how this ends.
 
Chief said:
I must say that if Iran is thinking about starting a fight, especially an air war. They are not going to like how this ends.
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Are you sure about that? Military vs. Military yes we could kick the living **** out of them but in the end the situation would be worse than it is in Iraq right now because the Iranians are fanatics.
 
I'm just saying if they do decide to be a bigshot and attack I'm not saying going in with complete disregard of our current situation. We would be stretched unnecessarily thin, but I think in the long run it would be more beneficial to the world. The last thing we need is for Iran to go nuclear. Nukes are not necessarily made to be used rather they are a deterrence. However I strongly fear Iran does not share this same view. I just don't trust them, period!
 
Depends on our expectations, me thinks. If we kick the hornets nest and run. You are right. If we play hardball and politicians dont meddle in the mission...

Oh nevermind.
 
No it is not that easy. Do you understand the fundamentalism, the fanatism of the Iranians. The insurgancy there would be worse. Hammas is supported by Iran and they would be there fighting till the end. It would be much much more bloody.
 
Now or later. You can't negotiate with fanaticism. The only thing these folks can understand is the finality of death. If we continue to parry with these 1st century morons, we will only postpone the inevitable and they will only be more numerous, stronger and better equipped. Sun Tzu would be proud of them.
 
Yes but now is not the time to act with our military (atleast not ground forces...bomb the hell out of them for all I care). We are spread to thin and our Army is too stressed right now. The stress on the soldiers from too many lengthy deployments (trust me I know, Ive been on two deployments now) has put a strain on the soldiers and reduced the readiness of them and there equipment.

Could we defeat them yes, but all it would mean is more lenghty deployments with less time between them.
 
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