Panha hovers between repair and manufacturing
27 August 2001
By KIAN MOKHTARI, JDW Correspondent, Tehran
Amir Nasser Akhavan, managing director of Iran's primary helicopter company Panha, has denied that the company is manufacturing helicopters, saying it is only overhauling and upgrading the country's large US-built fleet. However, there are indications the company may be building new helicopters from components sourced internationally.
The Iranian Helicopter Support and Renewal Company, known as Panha, announced in 1998 that it had entered full indigenous production of the Shabaviz (Owl) 2-75 utility helicopter, which appears to be based on the Agusta-Bell 205, and the model 2061, which appears to be based on the Bell 206 JetRanger. The attack helicopter project 2091, believed to be a copy of the Cobra AH-1, has yet to make its public debut.
In an interview in Tehran, Akhavan contradicted press reports and said Panha's role was as a helicopter support infrastructure rather than a helicopter manufacturer. He said the company has been the main force in keeping Iran's substantial US-built fleet of helicopters active despite almost 23 years of sanctions. Indeed, the company's design and manufacturing skills are limited, forcing it to buy turbines and avionics on the international market.
"The main body of our efforts have been concentrated in overhaul and repair of the US-built fleet acquired prior to the [1979] Islamic revolution and our company is fundamentally geared to such needs," Akhavan said. "There are no design projects for the foreseeable future as there is no design team employed by Panha to undertake such endeavours [because] for the time being there is no need for such an effort. We do not discount the fact that the requirement might arise in the future and we will address such a problem when it is deemed necessary."
Iran's fleet of helicopters is primarily of 1970s vintage and there is no shortage of spares for such aircraft around the world. Panha was reported to have upgraded the avionics on many Iranian helicopters, incorporating new radios and global positioning systems.
There is no reliable information suggesting the origin of upgrade packages made available to Iran. However, there is a broad international trade in aerospace components and avionics. The Islamic Republic of Iran Army Aviation AH-1J Cobra attack helicopters were reported to be equipped with new cockpit armoured panels, new avionics and cockpit design in 2000. It remains to be seen how much of these latest claims prove to be of substance.