IRIAF | News and Discussions

[drmeson]

Good news:

Fakour-90-2 or "Maghsoud" ARH LR-BVR from Babaiee Missile Industries will be tested in the coming days probably. It will have an effective range of around 180-200 KM with a powerful active radar of its own and ECM.

Sad news:

Only F-14AM can fire them.

 

[drmeson]

Good news:

Fakour-90-2 or "Maghsoud" ARH LR-BVR from Babaiee Missile Industries will be tested in the coming days probably. It will have an effective range of around 180-200 KM with a powerful active radar of its own and ECM.

Sad news:

Only F-14AM can fire them.

which is probably the reason they are investing more money in F-14AM upgradation and increasing the airframe count than any other fighter in the IRIAF. The current count is 43 airframes, out of which some 18-20 are F-14AM so far (modern digitalized, newer antenna AWG-9 with 370 Km range, IEI RWR+ECM+ MIL-STD-1553 Datalink from ground OTHR and AESA Engagement radars, IEI RWR).

They may bring some 7-8 more airframes in the next 1-2 years to this count which means there will be some 50+ F-14AM standard fighters armed with Fakour/Maghsoud LR-BVR supported by some 23 x MIG-29 (upgradation going on currently in ) and 70 x Kowsars. An overall BVR armed force of 140 x 4.0-4+ generation interceptors supported by UAV-AWACS/SIGINT/GWACS.

This is a good plan by IRIAF planners to rely upon actual machines then corruption-led stupid projects like JL-9 conversion of F-7N, upgradation of F-7N, or burning money on combat suite less Mirage F-1. Ideally speaking they should bargain with Russia for the supply of that old canceled order of ~48 MIG-29/MIG-35 to bring this integrated battle group interceptor force to ~200 x 4.0-4.5 generation.

 

[strateger]

I believe that some of Iran's aircrafts are simply too old. Airframes can only last for so long. Recently an Iranian J-7 crashed. I mean yes it happens, recently in the Mohave desert, an F-18 crashed, but still imo Iran needs some modern flanker variants with technology transfers. Some of those older airframes are simply at the end of their lifecycles. It's a miracle they've been able to keep them going for so long already.

Iran has made the right choice investing heavily in missile technology and UAVs. In the future UAVs will become more maneuverable. Once they can fly as fast as fighter jets, dispense flares, use counter measures, they'll basically be unmanned fighter jets. The US is already working on such platforms. It's definitely the future.

I agree, but I think you misunderstood. I am not saying Iran should simply keep those SU-22's that they have upgraded. They should make brand new SU-22 airframes, with newly built AL-21 engines, with modern avionics, that at the minimum are competitive with the recently done IRGC upgrade package. This would go along with brand new airframes, engines, etc for Kowsars. If they can reverse-engineer the J79 engine and build new F4 airframes, that would be significant as well. But they need a new fleet, new airframes, new engines, etc for these 3 aircraft.

The manufacturing capability is far more valuable than buying jets from China/Russia.

The war in Ukraine has shown that nothing more is needed when you have drones, ballistic missiles, and laser/guided artillery.

Russia is doing incredible things (from a military perspective) with SU-25's and SU-24's, combined with the drones, missiles, and modern artillery.

 

[BlessedKingOfLonging]

It's been a long time since I say that they do it more and more

They want the kowsar to be related to drones. New Kowsar will have artificial intelligence. I had read a little news that said that scientist teams are working to make Kowsar an unmanned plane.

Iran is working hard to pass the stages and go to the 6th generation of combat aircraft. He know that China, Russians, USA works on the 6th generation so Iran will pass over the 5th generation and that will suckle and the whole world.

And for the Kowsar, a general said for 1 year that the SAEGHE and the old F-5 will have been going to KOWSAR standards. Lots of surprise to come who come and shake people from this forum

How credible is your source?

Again, you should not trust General TheImmortal comments especially on the subject of Iranian combat aircraft.

The Shafaq project has always been active in the background and this project is far from dead. Iran has weapons and secret project not revealed but people here we have a lot of difficulty understanding this.

You will see in the future that was right here.

How far along is the project in your estimation, sir?

 

[BlessedKingOfLonging]

Iran advances very quickly in artificial intelligence and radars. Iranian scientists will go further than 4+ very quickly. We know very well that Iran is much more advanced than their public statements. We also know that Iran hides weapons never presented to the public that will be used in wartime. I can't wait to find out more about the single -seater Kowsar version

Yeah, I'm interested in HESA's projects as well although I HEARD from someone earlier that Shafaq was cancelled beyond all doubt.

 

[drmeson]

Yeah, I'm interested in HESA's projects as well although I HEARD from someone earlier that Shafaq was cancelled beyond all doubt.

Itself Shafagh is dead with its designer from USSR, Dr. Fatadin Mukhamedov (from Tajik SSR). He had mad love for flying disc-like fighters. One of his designs for the Mikayon office in Dushanbe, almost defeated Yak-130 for Moscow's tender for an advanced trainer / light fighter.

Because he worked with HESA engineers for years. Shafagh's design may have later influenced Kowsar-88/Borhan design or F-313 mockups. The day F-313's real derivative flies, we will see Mukhamedov's disc-like design in that (He passed away in 2013).

 

[BlessedKingOfLonging]

Itself Shafagh is dead with its designer from USSR, Dr. Fatadin Mukhamedov (from Tajik SSR). He had mad love for flying disc-like fighters. One of his designs for the Mikayon office in Dushanbe, almost defeated Yak-130 for Moscow's tender for an advanced trainer / light fighter.

Because he worked with HESA engineers for years. Shafagh's design may have later influenced Kowsar-88/Borhan design or F-313 mockups. The day F-313's real derivative flies, we will see Mukhamedov's disc-like design in that (He passed away in 2013).

Have his papers and drafts been recovered? Obviously, replacing the expertise lost on his passing would be difficult but as long as some of his work can be salvaged, all is good.

 

[drmeson]

Have his papers and drafts been recovered? Obviously, replacing the expertise lost on his passing would be difficult but as long as some of his work can be salvaged, all is good.

It was all out there on his company website, that he ran with his son. He had patents to his name for all these low RCS flying disc designs. Being ethnic Tajik, he spoke Persian fluently and visited Iran many times, his company had former MIG and Sukhoi designers, some 20 of them came to Malek Ashtar University to design this fighter and its advanced trainer version along with HESA engineers.

Shafagh itself stalled because of multiple reasons:

- lack of RD-5000 afterburners from Russia
- Iran was totally dependent at that time for Avionics and combat suite
- Mukhamedov's company went down with his declining health
- Iranian focus shifted to Missile power for strike and Air defence for interception.

But the Project laid the groundswork for the future generation of Iranian combat aviation projects. We have evidence in form of the following:

- Saegheh I/II tech demonstrators, both had the exact same YF-17/FA-18 or Shafagh's V-Tail configuration.
- I personally feel that Qaher-313 project was just some group inside HESA trying to revive whatever they worked on with Mukhamedov OKB.
- Every project that came out of Iran after that was F-5E/F + YF-17 + Shafagh. You will have Saeqeh with Shafagh's air-intakes with V-tails of YF-17. Qaher F313 was X-36 with Shafaghs V-tails.
(Northrop shared YF-17/FA-18 designs with Iran).

With engine problem being solved through Jahesh turbofan progression into a larger afterburner version or OWJ J90, along with Kowsar's quite advanced avionics suite we can probably predict that the actual end product of this 20+ years of research will yield a 4++ to 5.0 generation fighter from the labs of HESA in few years, maybe between 2025-2030 if funds are loosened. Mukhamedov OKB gave that concept years ago in form of a fighter for IRIAF called "M-ATF". Something very similar is going to fly IMO in a few years with Shafagh's advanced aerodynamics for all aspect extremely low RCS (or whatever they learned from research on X-36 like Qaher), Saegheh I/II V-tails for high angle of attacks, and Kowsar's even improved Avionics package, Bayyenat-AESA radar and FBW etc. Iranian equivalent to KF-21 which will eventually see mass production to replace everything in IRIAF/IRGC-AF except F-14AM and the newly purchased Su-35S. This is one of the reasons we never see mass induction of Saegheh I/II, Kowsar-I or any light fighter from China. Something much better is yet to come.

 

[BlessedKingOfLonging]

It was all out there on his company website, that he ran with his son. He had patents to his name for all these low RCS flying disc designs. Being ethnic Tajik, he spoke Persian fluently and visited Iran many times, his company had former MIG and Sukhoi designers, some 20 of them came to Malek Ashtar University to design this fighter and its advanced trainer version along with HESA engineers.

Shafagh itself stalled because of multiple reasons:

- lack of RD-5000 afterburners from Russia
- Iran was totally dependent at that time for Avionics and combat suite
- Mukhamedov's company went down with his declining health
- Iranian focus shifted to Missile power for strike and Air defence for interception.

But the Project laid the groundswork for the future generation of Iranian combat aviation projects. We have evidence in form of the following:

- Saegheh I/II tech demonstrators, both had the exact same YF-17/FA-18 or Shafagh's V-Tail configuration.
- I personally feel that Qaher-313 project was just some group inside HESA trying to revive whatever they worked on with Mukhamedov OKB.
- Every project that came out of Iran after that was F-5E/F + YF-17 + Shafagh. You will have Saeqeh with Shafagh's air-intakes with V-tails of YF-17. Qaher F313 was X-36 with Shafaghs V-tails.
(Northrop shared YF-17/FA-18 designs with Iran).

With engine problem being solved through Jahesh turbofan progression into a larger afterburner version or OWJ J90, along with Kowsar's quite advanced avionics suite we can probably predict that the actual end product of this 20+ years of research will yield a 4++ to 5.0 generation fighter from the labs of HESA in few years, maybe between 2025-2030 if funds are loosened. Mukhamedov OKB gave that concept years ago in form of a fighter for IRIAF called "M-ATF". Something very similar is going to fly IMO in a few years with Shafagh's advanced aerodynamics for all aspect extremely low RCS (or whatever they learned from research on X-36 like Qaher), Saegheh I/II V-tails for high angle of attacks, and Kowsar's even improved Avionics package, Bayyenat-AESA radar and FBW etc. Iranian equivalent to KF-21 which will eventually see mass production to replace everything in IRIAF/IRGC-AF except F-14AM and the newly purchased Su-35S. This is one of the reasons we never see mass induction of Saegheh I/II, Kowsar-I or any light fighter from China. Something much better is yet to come.

This post was like an early birthday gift. Arigato, senpai! DAISUKE!

 

[Mr Iran Eye]

The shafaq is still alive, it is the future that will decide the question. And for the Kowsar, the upgrades, I had already posted this news here.

Challenge for you, look for the serial number of the F-4 SM (super improving) Find me the F-4 SM with new cells. And I tell you that the new engine has been testing in it for a while. You really have to look for the most recent F4s and carefully analyze these planes. They work according to their public announcements in the manufacture of a new heavy chaseur and I believe it firmly at 100%

Do you seriously think they are working on a new heavy hunters without new engine? I say they started their new heavy hunter because they have the engine in hand and they were tested on the F-4 M or SM.

 

[BlessedKingOfLonging]

The shafaq is still alive, it is the future that will decide the question. And for the Kowsar, the upgrades, I had already posted this news here.

Challenge for you, look for the serial number of the F-4 SM (super improving) Find me the F-4 SM with new cells. And I tell you that the new engine has been testing in it for a while. You really have to look for the most recent F4s and carefully analyze these planes. They work according to their public announcements in the manufacture of a new heavy chaseur and I believe it firmly at 100%

Do you seriously think they are working on a new heavy hunters without new engine? I say they started their new heavy hunter because they have the engine in hand and they were tested on the F-4 M or SM.

Thanks for the heads up, agham!

 

[drmeson]

All hail the undisputed legend of the Iranian skies, F-14AM upgrade package. Underlined are known or possible/plausible upgrades with local stuff.

gathered all the info I could from Key-aero, Key-military, words of TCooper, Air international, Combat-Aviation, etc. I will keep modifying the information as it becomes more published.

 

[Hack-Hook]

All hail the undisputed legend of the Iranian skies, F-14AM upgrade package. Underlined are known or possible/plausible upgrades with local stuff.

gathered all the info I could from Key-aero, Key-military, words of TCooper, Air international, Combat-Aviation, etc. I will keep modifying the information as it becomes more published.

Come on if you put those hard points there it'll clash with airplane itself. By the way hydra rockets ? Are you kidding me

 

[sanel1412]

Come on if you put those hard points there it'll clash with airplane itself. By the way hydra rockets ? Are you kidding me

What hardpoints, I see only original hard points on those F14, F14 can carry 8 AA missiles thus 2 external fuel tanks... In original configuration, it can carry even 10 probably without AIM 54

 

[drmeson]

Come on if you put those hard points there it'll clash with airplane itself. By the way hydra rockets ? Are you kidding me

Hydra => LAU-10 has been corrected, I used the Kowsar template so may have missed changing it.

Not sure what you are on about the hardpoints. F-14 has 10 hard points. 4 x under nacelles, 2 x wing gloves, 4 x under the fuselage. I was careful enough to limit the configuration to 6 x Fakour-90 / AIM-54+ only.

......................


For those who want to know. The current Iranian inventory for long-range LR-BVR for F-14 AM is as follows:

~40+ totally overhauled maintained AIM-54+
~100-120 x Fakour-90

Both systems are under the care of Babaei Missile Industries. Whenever Maghsoud ARH-LR-BVR will be unveiled by them, I hope it's smaller and lighter so that it can arm F-14 AM, Kowsar's future generation simultaneously. MIG-29 fleet will get newer BVR (I do not like R-27E) whenever or if they procure newer jets from Russia.