Iranian HESA Maritime Patrol Aircraft to Fly This Fall

[Pasban]

The HESA IrAn-140 is a short-range twin-turboprop aircraft based on the Antonov An-140 and built under license by HESA of Iran.

The Iranian Aircraft Manufacturing Industrial Company or HESA (شرکت صنایع هواپیماسازی ایرا&#1606 manufactures the aircraft at Shahin-Shahr complex near Isfahan. HESA planned to design and manufacture upgraded Iran-140s for maritime patrol (Iran140-MP) back in 2008. After numerous delays, the project seems to be finally coming back to life!

Firstly, some back ground knowledge of the project:

IR.AN-140 MP Maritime Patrol Aircraft

Purpose
Sea-surface target detection , Exploration and exploitation
Sub-surface target detection
Search for wrecked flight and ship crews and downloading of coordinates to sea rescue services
Prevention of smuggling, terrorism and piracy
Fisheries protection
Resource control
Pollution monitoring and control
Marine traffic policing
Navigation aids
Special mission with low level flights, search and rescue patterns


The function of IR.AN140 MP Aircraft are as follows:
Active detecting which consists of:
Search radar;
Passive Imaging which consists of:
Turreted FLIR;
Turreted TV camera;
Obtain Early Warning of potentially hostile activity, and Identify RF emitters which consists of:
Electronic Support Measurement (ESM);
Active Imaginary which consists of:
Search radar with SAR/ISAR capability;
Active/Passive sub-surface detection which consists of:
Sonobuoys (Active and Passive);
Sonobuoy launcher;
Sonobuoy receiver/processor;
Mark On Top Indicator;
Accurate position sub-surface detection which consists of:
MAD system;
Distinguish oil cover area which consists of:
Infra Red Laser Scanner (IRLS);
Ultra violet (UV) Scanner;
Measuring spilled oil thickness and volume which consists of:
Microwave Radiometer (MWR);
Search And Rescue (SAR) kit dropping which consists of:
SAR equipment;
Recording video image which consists of:
Video Cassette Recorder (VCR);
Video Recorder Reproducer (VRR);
Sending video image which consists of:
Video downlink (Data link);
Color Text and Graph Direct/Indirect printing which consists of:
Color printer;
Recording image which consists of:
Hand held camera;
Locate target position which consists of:
Smoke marker;
Illumination Flare;

The Equipment
Depending on the mission the MPA can be equipped with
60° Search Radar
FLIR System
ESM System
Acoustic System
MAD System
UR/IR Scanner + Microwave Radio Meter
SAR Kits
Data link + Video Recorder Reproducer
Hand Held camera
Three Operator Work Station
Smoke Marker + Illumination flare
TACAN
IFF
UHF/VHF
INS
FMS

Engines

Type …………………………………………... TV3-117 VMA-SBM1

Power ,KW (h.p) ……………………………... 2x1,838 (2500)



Mission equipment weight ,t ………………... 2.2

Loiter speed ,km/h ……………………………. 325-375

Loiter altitude ,m ……………………………… 300-5,000

Time on station with 1 h fuel reserve , h ….. 6.0- 7.0



Takeoff distance required (OEI,ISA,SL) m .............……. 1,500

Landing distance required(BEO,ISA,SL)m ……………… 1,600

Crew,pers. ……………………………………… 6

MPA " Coastguard "


Equipment and Layout
Mission equipment as shown, plus
MEL, A Super 360° Radar System
Flight /Nav.Display at Radar Console
Automatic Flight Control System connected to the long distance Navigation System
Wet Outboard Wing

Utility

Here are the news sources referring to induction this fall:

نسخه چاپي ارسال به دوستان
منطقي در جمع خبرنگاران:
هواپيماي ايران 140 مخصوص گشت دريايي پائيز عملياتي مي*شود

خبرگزاري فارس: رئيس سازمان صنايع هوايي نيروهاي مسلح از ورود مدل جديد هواپيماي ايران140 به ناوگان هوايي تا اواخر فصل پاييز خبر داد.

به گزارش خبرنگار دفاعي خبرگزاري فارس، منوچهر منطقي رئيس سازمان صنايع هوايي نيروهاي مسلح در حاشيه همايش و نمايشگاه موتورهاي هوايي در جمع خبرنگاران از ورود مدل جديد هواپيماي ايران 140 به ناوگان هوايي خبر داد و گفت: اين هواپيما براي موارد ويژه از جمله بررسي حوادث و آسيب*هاي طبيعي و گشت*هاي دريايي كاربرد دارد و هم اكنون مراحل آزمايش نهايي را مي گذراند و تا اواخر فصل پاييز وارد ناوگان هوايي مي*شود.
منطقي با بيان اينكه مدل ديگري از هواپيماي ايران 140 نيز در سال آينده وارد ناوگان هوايي كشور خواهد شد، تصريح كرد: موضوع تجاري سازي هواپيماي ايران 140 تاكنون مورد توجه نبوده اما براي افزايش شمار توليد اين هواپيما و استفاده از آن در خطوط هوايي داخل و خارج كشور برنامه*هايي در دستور كار قرار گرفته است.
رئيس سازمان صنايع هوايي نيروهاي مسلح در پايان اظهار داشت: هواپيماي ايران 140 موجب غرور صنعت هوايي كشور و جهان است و وقتي ما به دانش طراحي و ساخت هواپيما دست يافتيم، مي*توانيم مدل*هاي متعددي از آن طراحي كنيم و اگر سفارش مدل*هاي ويژه براي اين هواپيما داشته باشيم قادريم آن را در يك يا دو سال تحويل دهيم.

Fars News Agency : åæǁíãÇí ÇíÑÇä 140 ãÎÕæÕ ÔÊ ÏÑíÇíí ÇÆíÒ ÚãáíÇÊí ãíÔæÏ

In brief, the article states that HESA's head has said that the new aircraft will enter Iran's air fleet this Fall. It also states that he mentioned that the aircraft is for maritime control, for monitoring pollution and natural disasters and that it is at present in the final stages of testing before entry this Fall. HESA's head also stated that further knowledge and designs can be obtained from it.

I personally find this news to be great. Perhaps not at par with the level of technology, but Iran did have all elements needed to build such an aircraft and without foreign assistance-- radar, FLIR, optics etc. This had been delayed much.

This is one of several planned modifications to the IrAn-140 aircraft which includes a cargo / troop transport variants as well-- all facing delays despite finalized designs. The last modification I would like to see depends on Iran acquiring/ designing a more proper radar to physically fit with the aircraft and modern enough to prove useful in early warning (i.e a local AEW system).

 

[Pasban]

One of the drawbacks is that the aircraft has had already somewhat of a questionable service with Iran and mainly because of two crashes-- one in 2002 where it was actually a Ukrainian plane that was carrying Ukrainian and Russian aviation officials to an inauguration of a Antanov assembly-line Iran and then in 2009 where one on a training flight. There have been three other accidents. Of the five in total, at least two were Iranian built IrAN-140s. This is definitely not a great record. I hope it's future record is much better.

Below are some stock images:

 

[into the wild]

russia is doing hell of a job, developing iranian defence industry!!

good job

 

[Pasban]

russia is doing hell of a job, developing iranian defence industry!!

good job

The original IrAn-140 passenger-liner program was made with cooperation with Ukraine with Russian technical assistance. The military suited applications (maritime patrol version, troop transport version etc..) are of Iranian design alone and utilize Iranian-developed features. Also, the deal was sealed several years ago when Iranian relations with both of the above mentioned states were more amiable which isn't the present situation-- the current troublesome S-300PMU deal with Russia is one prime example.

 

[Musalman]

russia is doing hell of a job, developing iranian defence industry!!

good job

No actually Iran's aviation Industry is pretty much developed.

 

[somebozo]

i think america now realizes that buying china and russia votes in unsc was useless.

 

[Irani]

One of the drawbacks is that the aircraft has had already somewhat of a questionable service with Iran and mainly because of two crashes-- one in 2002 where it was actually a Ukrainian plane that was carrying Ukrainian and Russian aviation officials to an inauguration of a Antanov assembly-line Iran and then in 2009 where one on a training flight. There have been three other accidents. Of the five in total, at least two were Iranian built IrAN-140s. This is definitely not a great record. I hope it's future record is much better.

I read in an Iranian forum that there were a problem in the engines but now Iranian experts solved it for awhile.