11.01.2004, 01:51
The air arm of the Iranian armed forces has drawn a lot of media attention lately by revealing some of the locally produced and upgraded hardware during the Khoramshahr Air Exhibition held in May and June 2002 and the Iran International Air Show held at Kish Island (OIBK) in October and November 2002. Iran is clearly trying to achieve a totally self-sufficient armaments capability and is doing quite well taking into account that the arms trade had come to a total stand-still since the 1979 revolution. Some of the projects currently undertaken by the local industries like the Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industries (IAMI) in conjunction with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) are:
The Simorgh is a Northrop F-5A to F-5B conversion by the Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industries (IAMI) at Shahin Shahr Isfahan
Shafagh, a two-seat Advanced training and Attack aircraft that is allegedly based on the Russian-Iranian "Project Integral". Plans are to produce three versions of the Shafagh. One two-seat trainer/light strike version and two one-seat fighter-bomber versions. They will be fitted with Russian ejection seats.
Parastu (Swallow), a reverse-engineered propeller aircraft (allegedly a Beech F33 Bonanza look-a-like)
Azarakhsh (Lightning), a reverse engineered fighter
JT2-2 Tazarv, the third prototype of the jet-powered Dorna (Lark) which is a light trainer
Shahed 274, a locally designed light helicopter
Shavabiz 75, a reverse-engineered Bell 214C
Project 2061, a reverse-engineered Bell 206
Iran-140, a license built Antonov An-140
Besides these projects the local aviation industry performs upgrades and overhaul programs on a high technical level on the complete fleet of fixed wing aircraft and helicopters.
It is rumored that an unknown number of "new" Su-25s were delivered to the Iranian Revolution Guards Corps Air Force (IRGCAF) in 2003. Where these Frogfoots originate from is unclear. During an arms exhibition at Tehran-Mehrabad set up to commemorate the 8-year war with Iraq, a Su-25 was shown to the public. Also an F-14A and a JT2-2 Tazarv were displayed.
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The Simorgh is a Northrop F-5A to F-5B conversion by the Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industries (IAMI) at Shahin Shahr Isfahan
Shafagh, a two-seat Advanced training and Attack aircraft that is allegedly based on the Russian-Iranian "Project Integral". Plans are to produce three versions of the Shafagh. One two-seat trainer/light strike version and two one-seat fighter-bomber versions. They will be fitted with Russian ejection seats.
Parastu (Swallow), a reverse-engineered propeller aircraft (allegedly a Beech F33 Bonanza look-a-like)
Azarakhsh (Lightning), a reverse engineered fighter
JT2-2 Tazarv, the third prototype of the jet-powered Dorna (Lark) which is a light trainer
Shahed 274, a locally designed light helicopter
Shavabiz 75, a reverse-engineered Bell 214C
Project 2061, a reverse-engineered Bell 206
Iran-140, a license built Antonov An-140
Besides these projects the local aviation industry performs upgrades and overhaul programs on a high technical level on the complete fleet of fixed wing aircraft and helicopters.
It is rumored that an unknown number of "new" Su-25s were delivered to the Iranian Revolution Guards Corps Air Force (IRGCAF) in 2003. Where these Frogfoots originate from is unclear. During an arms exhibition at Tehran-Mehrabad set up to commemorate the 8-year war with Iraq, a Su-25 was shown to the public. Also an F-14A and a JT2-2 Tazarv were displayed.
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