drmeson
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when the ya-ali is fired from altitude it can easily go to 1000km away and f-4 easily can carry 4 of that .
they easily can do that and escape back into safety , you don't need to acompany them with 100 interceptor. 2-3 is enough if you insist on that .but F-4 ibecause of its J-79 engine is capable of doing the bombing alone specially now that can do it from 1000s of km away.
This is F-4 load
it can can carry a 600galon center line tank, and carry 4 MK-83 bomb at the same time (translate it to 4 cruise missile) and at the same time carry 4 x fatter or Sparrow
I meant a force of 100 interceptors. You can only afford to dedicate 4 such planes loaded with LR-BVR with 2 x SOW heavy F-4E, if you have at least other 6 squadrons at home gaurding the world's 17th largest airspace. Currently, we have Dowran upgraded F-4E squadrons at Bushehr, Bandar Abbas, and Chabahar. At least 4 squadrons of interceptors are required in proximity to these Dowran F-4E/D to (a) guard the attack planes during attacks (b) perform a conventional air guard role towards the enemy intruding the airspace. Thats too much load not to mention it provides the juicy target to Enemies like US that can fire some 2000 LA-CM at three forward TABs bases. Even if we intercept half of that quantity using LORADS/SHORADS, how much of the fleet will be left in the end?
Compare that to a scenario in which those 4 interceptor squadrons turn into 7 dedicated interception squadrons (Money from retired attack planes maintanance, goes to production of Kowsar-II). No other role just airsuperiority in the Iranian skies and nothing else. While the attack role is left to these fine MALE-UCAV fellows who currently number 300-350 (3rd largest fleet in the world ? ) and may turn into a 500 strong Fleet in few years. They carry the following
- Glide PGMs
- laser guided PGMs
- Air launched Cruise missiles (Land attack, Anti Shipping)
- ECM Jamming pods
- modern SAR radars + EO/IR trackers.
I am not mentioning that we have operational battalions of AShBM and AShCMs that can wreck havoc on enemy ships some 1000 KM away from iranian shores.
F-4E/D are not being retired I am sure because IRIAF spent money on their upgradation with top notch radars and new weapons but there is a limit you can push a 14 m2 RCS airframe into modern day combat domain.