HESA Azarakhsh

The HESA Azarakhsh (Persian: آذرخش‎ Âzarakhš, "lightning") is a jet fighter aircraft manufactured by the Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industrial Company (HESA). It is widely regarded as a rebuilt and renamed American Northrop F-5 Freedom Fighter/Tiger II [2] although Iranian authorities claim it is Iran's first domestically manufactured combat jet fighter.[3]

Azarakhsh
HESA Azarakhsh on display at Vahdati Air Base
Role Strike fighter
Manufacturer Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industrial Company (HESA)
Introduction 1997
Status In service [1]
Primary user Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force
Number built 6[2]
Developed from Northrop F-5E Tiger II
Developed into HESA Saeqeh
HESA Kowsar

The Azarakhsh was developed in Isfahan by the Iranian army, the Iranian Defense Ministry, and aircraft-manufacturing company HESA.[4]

Development

In April 1997 Iranian Brigadier General Arasteh, a deputy head of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, declared that Iran had successfully designed, constructed and tested its first fighter aircraft. By late 1997 it was reported that Iran had begun mass-producing the aircraft [2] and by mid-2000 four aircraft were said to be undergoing operational tests, with production proceeding at a rate of around ten aircraft per year.

On May 17, 2000, Iran's acting commander of the Air Force said that Azarakhsh had reached mass-production stage.[5] On August 5, 2007, Azarakhsh conducted a successful test flight.[6] On August 6, 2007, Ministry of Defense Mostafa Mohammad-Najjar said, "[Azarakhsh] is now at the stage of industrial production and its mass production will start in the future." [7]

Design

Azarakhsh

Production started by late 1997 and as of 2001 there were six aircraft reported to be in service.[2] Iran has yet to release any additional information about the aircraft and its capabilities are unknown.

There are no known differences between the Azarakhsh and the original Northrop F-5E. Coupled with the fact only very few Azarakhsh jets have been observed since the claimed start of production indicates that the Azarakhsh is not a new-built jet fighter, but a rebuild of existing Northrop F-5s.[8]

Saeqeh
Main article: HESA Saeqeh

The HESA Saeqeh is a follow on aircraft, derived from the Azarakhsh fighter. As with many previous indigenous Iranian developed weapons, no performance data has been released to verify official claims. An unknown number of this generation have been built and are reported to have entered service with the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF) on September 22, 2007.[9][10]

Kowsar
Main article: HESA Kowsar

In August 2018, IAIO unveiled the Kowsar (or Kosar) jet trainer and strike aircraft. The Kowsar will be produced in single and two-seater versions.[11][12][13]

See also

Related development

References
  1. "Global Security".
  2. GlobalSecurity.org Azarakhsh (Lightning)
  3. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-02-16. Retrieved 2007-02-16.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) Tel Aviv University Publication, Analysis by the Jaffee Center for Strategic Studies
  4. John Pike. "Azarakhsh". globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 12 May 2015.
  5. Pavyand.com Payvand's Iran News
  6. Azarakhsh fighter conducts successful test flight Archived 2007-10-14 at the Wayback Machine IRNA
  7. New fighter plane tested successfully: Defense minister Archived 2007-10-14 at the Wayback Machine IRNA
  8. "The Buzz :: Why Iran's Fighter-Jet Ripoff Is Just Fake News". nationalinterest.org. 2017-02-17. Retrieved 2018-05-23.
  9. IRNA 4th, 5th generations of Sa'eqe jet fighters to be produced Archived 2008-06-04 at the Wayback Machine January 5, 2008
  10. Payvand News Saeqeh fighter planes tested successfully in Iran September 20, 2007
  11. "European Defence Review magazine". European Defence Review magazine. 2018. Retrieved 24 August 2018.
  12. "New Fighter Jet Unveiled By Iranian Military". Forces Network. British Forces Broadcasting Service. 21 August 2018. Retrieved 22 August 2018.
  13. al-Atrush, Samer (21 August 2018). "Iran unveils new fighter jet as president says US 'knows the consequences' of an attack on Tehran". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 23 August 2018.
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