Iran unveils A2A BVR missile Fakour
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AmirPatriot
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Most Iranian fighter jets cannot carry or guide this huge long range missile.
Tokhme khar
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This looks like a local Aim-54E variant
mohsen
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actually most of them can, not necessarily with F14 performance.
Tokhme khar
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mohsin jan u need an awg-9 or a compatible Irbis type to be able to guide this thing out to 100 miles.
The F-5 family or Mirage F-1 or the F-4D/ E don't have powerful AI radars to be able to use this thing.
The F-5 family or Mirage F-1 or the F-4D/ E don't have powerful AI radars to be able to use this thing.
AmirPatriot
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F-14 is the only Iranian plane with the radar range.
mohsen
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1970 AI & radars!
Fafnir
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Even the f14 which is a heavy weight fighter can only carry 6 of these missiles,in addition to make the full use of this very formidable missiles 100+miles range you need a carrier aircraft with a long ranged very powerful radar,otherwise you are simply wasting the missile and its capabilities
Aryzin
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@Tokhme khar, it looks like a phoenix yes but how do you know if A or E variants? I think Iran should have made these in the 90s, now the missiles are even if updated, only available to use by Tomcats. I am not an airforce guy but from what I gather, the Phoenix is not that manouvrable and was designed to intercept Soviet bombers and defending the carrier groups from long range. Iran has to invest in procuring newer technology and when all sanctions are lifted it can start developing it's air power.
eagle2007
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ALCON,
No doubt, given the available information we have on the IRIAF's current kit, no aircraft except the F-14 could realistic use this missile.
The only reports of radars improvements for the IRIAF's fighter fleet in recent times was for the F-4D/E upgrade program, the Dowran. However, no one sure if that program was/is being fully implemented. Reports we had (from the infamous B.T.), called for the installation of a Chinese-designed multimode PD radar to be installed in the F-4s. However, we don't have much proof to back this up with (just some CGI images of possible F-4 radar configurations a few years ago). Even if true, you'd need a radar with a search range of ~150km to make using this missile practical. Remember that search ranges and tracking ranges are NOT the same thing in fighter radars. If you have a 100+KM range A2A missile, you need a search range a bit greater than that to really get your monies worth.
To put that in perspective, that roughly 3x the range of the Mirage F1EQ's Cyrano IV (~55km), 2x the range of the MiG-29's N019 (~70km), to name a few. As originally built, the APQ-120 had a similar range to the Cyrano IV (50-60km).
There's a reason the AIM-54 was never mounted to another aircraft is the USN or the USAF for that matter (though it was talked about). Few had a radar kit up to the job, and given the sheer cost of the missile (overly $1mil per missile, in 1980s dollars!), was never seen as a smart investment.
UPDATE:
There's no such variant as the AIM-54E. The official variant list is: AIM-54A (what Iran received), the AIM-54B (didn't enter mass production), the AIM-54C (major upgrade), and the AIM-54 ECCM (technically just late-production C variants).
No doubt, given the available information we have on the IRIAF's current kit, no aircraft except the F-14 could realistic use this missile.
The only reports of radars improvements for the IRIAF's fighter fleet in recent times was for the F-4D/E upgrade program, the Dowran. However, no one sure if that program was/is being fully implemented. Reports we had (from the infamous B.T.), called for the installation of a Chinese-designed multimode PD radar to be installed in the F-4s. However, we don't have much proof to back this up with (just some CGI images of possible F-4 radar configurations a few years ago). Even if true, you'd need a radar with a search range of ~150km to make using this missile practical. Remember that search ranges and tracking ranges are NOT the same thing in fighter radars. If you have a 100+KM range A2A missile, you need a search range a bit greater than that to really get your monies worth.
To put that in perspective, that roughly 3x the range of the Mirage F1EQ's Cyrano IV (~55km), 2x the range of the MiG-29's N019 (~70km), to name a few. As originally built, the APQ-120 had a similar range to the Cyrano IV (50-60km).
There's a reason the AIM-54 was never mounted to another aircraft is the USN or the USAF for that matter (though it was talked about). Few had a radar kit up to the job, and given the sheer cost of the missile (overly $1mil per missile, in 1980s dollars!), was never seen as a smart investment.
UPDATE:
There's no such variant as the AIM-54E. The official variant list is: AIM-54A (what Iran received), the AIM-54B (didn't enter mass production), the AIM-54C (major upgrade), and the AIM-54 ECCM (technically just late-production C variants).
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PeeD
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To some extend the kinematic performance of such large AAMs can be a real argument.
Medium range missiles such as the R-77, AIM-120, PL-12 have problems at ranges over 60km, the PK sharply decreases afterwards and a maneuvering target can evade quite easily.
A heavy AAM like the Fakkur 90 could keep its high PK against maneuvering targets most likely up to 80km, head-on and even in pursuit.
To put it simply: The IRIAF assets are outdated, in anti-air operation they can only be effective in a single operation mode --> be upgraded with a modern "unified" radar system that can operate the Fakkur-90 to at least 80km lock-on range against fighter size targets. Use external radar data to engage only at long ranges and return to base after the AAMs are spent.
Heavy AAMs have problems against targets pulling high G numbers but if the Fakkur-90 would have reasonable PK against such fighter targets it would be a ideal asset to compensate the shortcomings of the old IRIAF fleet.
Whether a F-5 could carry two and use data-link target information for engagement. Or a F-4 carry two for CAP missions with a upgraded radar, or 4 on a short range interception mission... All quite strange scenarios except for F-14s operating them as AIM-54 replacement. Would be very unconventional but could make some sense. However as the IRIAF is not known to make such radical steps (its not IRGCASF), I'm quite sure we will see the Fakkur 90 only on F-14s.
The speculated scenario however would be much better than a convention upgrade program of a Chinese radar and PL-12 for the F-5, F-4 and MIG-29 fleet. It certainly would make the old fleet more fearsome.
Medium range missiles such as the R-77, AIM-120, PL-12 have problems at ranges over 60km, the PK sharply decreases afterwards and a maneuvering target can evade quite easily.
A heavy AAM like the Fakkur 90 could keep its high PK against maneuvering targets most likely up to 80km, head-on and even in pursuit.
To put it simply: The IRIAF assets are outdated, in anti-air operation they can only be effective in a single operation mode --> be upgraded with a modern "unified" radar system that can operate the Fakkur-90 to at least 80km lock-on range against fighter size targets. Use external radar data to engage only at long ranges and return to base after the AAMs are spent.
Heavy AAMs have problems against targets pulling high G numbers but if the Fakkur-90 would have reasonable PK against such fighter targets it would be a ideal asset to compensate the shortcomings of the old IRIAF fleet.
Whether a F-5 could carry two and use data-link target information for engagement. Or a F-4 carry two for CAP missions with a upgraded radar, or 4 on a short range interception mission... All quite strange scenarios except for F-14s operating them as AIM-54 replacement. Would be very unconventional but could make some sense. However as the IRIAF is not known to make such radical steps (its not IRGCASF), I'm quite sure we will see the Fakkur 90 only on F-14s.
The speculated scenario however would be much better than a convention upgrade program of a Chinese radar and PL-12 for the F-5, F-4 and MIG-29 fleet. It certainly would make the old fleet more fearsome.
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