IRIAF | News and Discussions

[VEVAK]

Could it be due to powerful AN/AWG-9 radar radiations? and whatever the reason would be , shouldn't it be repainted every now and then?

The change in color on the radome is due to the Aircrafts flight at high speeds some turn red due to particles in the air rubbing off the outer layer and this especially becomes evident on multi color domes with white tips (mainly used on naval fighters and NOT over dry countries like Iran) and in most of the cases it's due to the outer layer of paint rubbing off due to high friction.... gunpowder residue is also a factor that's why the side with the gun goes red faster

To paint an F-14 requires a special paint to paint the Radome requires a very special paint that is free of some materials that could effect the radar (especially lead) and has to be both high heat & friction resistant (capable of resisting Mach 2) and this type of paint is a more recent development in Iran and was not produced in Iran at the time that picture was taken which makes painting (more like repairing because they likely have to be placed in a vacuumed oven) the radome as often as you like not so easy or cheap due to sanctions!

Also white radomes are mostly for naval fight jets and rarely used for Mach 2 fighters that have to takeoff, land & mainly operate over a dry country with high dust particles on a daily bases and the U.S. likely knew this would help them increase maintenance costs when they sold the F-14's to Iran and they would have claimed the radome couldn't be painted and had to be replaced or sent back to the US to be repaired or replaced by the manufacturer (May have been true in the 70's due to a lack of equipment in Iran IDK) and being a good capitalist country that they are they recommended the multi color radome with the white tip on all Iranian F-14's

vs

look at the video below and what happens to the paint when the missile hits high speeds on a single launch within seconds and that's not even the nose of the rocket & now imagine the nose having to be radar absorbent... of course the heat created inside the rocket is also a major factor but it gives you an idea of the heat and friction the radome of a Mach 2 fighter has endure so Iran can't be picky with those white tips on a multi color radome....

 

[yavar]

Iran's Training Jet, The 'Kosar' هواپیمای جت آموزشی بومی کشور با نام کوثر

 

[SubWater]

Saba 248 Helicopter

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[Zathura]

I am posting this particular article here because SU-30 sm is the leading contender to be purchased by Iran in the future for its air force.
Also I find the following quote very interesting: "the upgraded Su-30SM1 will equal the fifth-generation aircraft in its capabilities".
===============================================

MAKS 2017: Russian MoD eyes improved variant of the Su-30SM fighter jet
Russia’s Ministry of Defense and Irkut Corporation are completing modernization of the Su-30SM multirole fighter. The upgraded version will be designated the Su-30SM1. Improvements will be made to avionics, and the aircraft will also be able to use the latest precision-guided weapons. According to experts, the upgraded Su-30SM1 will equal the fifth-generation aircraft in its capabilities, writes the newspaper Izvestia.
As Izvestia was told at Russia’s Aerospace Forces Command, the modernization of the Su-30SM is currently underway, taking into account the experience of daily and combat operation of fighters. The upgraded aircraft will feature a number of improvements to avionics, as well as an expanded range of precision-guided munitions. Several Su-30SMs have already been modernized. The United Aircraft Corporation confirmed that the work was underway, but declined to comment further.
Expert Anton Lavrov told Izvestia that if a single digit is added to the designation of an aircraft, then it’s most likely about adding new types of ammunition to the range of weapons used by the fighter. "The Su-30SM is a very good aircraft," the expert said. "In the case of the Su-30SM1, this may be the addition of new suspended surveillance systems and the integration of additional weapons. It can be assumed that the upgraded fighters will be able to use the KAB-250 precision-guided bombs and Kh-59MK2 air-to-surface missiles."
The KAB-250 bomb has a modular design and can be fitted with satellite- and laser-guided systems. It was developed in response to the development of guided air bombs of the SDB (Small Diameter Bomb) family in the United States. These bombs are used to equip the American F-22 and F-35 fifth-generation fighters. The KAB-250 with a laser seeker and a HE warhead is designed to destroy soft skin equipment, railway junctions, warehouses and other enemy facilities. The air bomb can be used both singly and in salvo from an aircraft equipped with on-board laser target designators, as well as when the targets are externally illuminated from the ground.
The Kh-59MK2 is an advanced version of the Kh-59 missile. The latter was intended to destroy surface targets such as "boat" or "ship." The MK2 version has added a capability to destroy low-contrast ground-based stationary targets with known coordinates to these capabilities. This is an airborne fire-and-forget precision-guided missile.

The Su-30SM fighter is the latest version of Russia’s most mass-produced Su-30 generation 4++ multirole fighter. Its super maneuverability is achieved through a highly effective integral aerodynamic configuration of the airframe, the use of AL-31FP engines with a thrust vectoring control system, and canard surfaces. The Bars onboard radar enables the pilot to use weapons in a maneuverable flight at a long range. The aircraft is able to use the entire range of current and advanced precision-guided air-to-air and air-to-surface weapons and fly up to 3,000 km without refueling and external fuel tanks. During a recent visit to the Irkutsk Aviation Plant, Deputy Defense Minister Yury Borisov said that in 2017 the Aerospace Forces expect to receive 17 new Su-30SM fighters, recalls the newspaper Izvestia.

Source: airrecognition

 

[sahureka2]

Iran and MAKS-2017
sputnik news spanish
https://mundo.sputniknews.com/tecnologia/201707271071085214-iran-aeronautica-exposicion/

 

[Readerdefence]

They can put pressure on Russia/China. They've done it before.

I think not anymore with the Present situation around as recently Russia has completed the delivery of s300
So I'm positive if Iran has the means to pay one way or the other they can get these kind of items which is technically not a threat for Americans easily
Thx

 

[Bahram Esfandiari]

I think not anymore with the Present situation around as recently Russia has completed the delivery of s300
So I'm positive if Iran has the means to pay one way or the other they can get these kind of items which is technically not a threat for Americans easily
Thx

S-300 is a defensive weapon system and does not fall under the UN arms embargo on Iran. Combat Aircraft are considered as offensive weapons and are banned until 2021 at the earliest and even then I predict that the arms embargo will most likely be extended past 2021.

 

[raptor22]

2 Iranian F 14 Tomcat perform Barrel Roll maneuver

 

[Avicenna]

What a beauty the F-14 is!

 

[VEVAK]

Iran's Training Jet, The 'Kosar' هواپیمای جت آموزشی بومی کشور با نام کوثر

A bit of a disappointment! Although Iran needs a sub sonic trainer as a step below jumping into a Simorgh / Saegheh-2 (F-5) I hoped for something better at least something that can not only do training but also has the payload capacity to do low level close Air Support something with a big gun, electro optics, PGM capability and a fairly good payload!

And why of all places would you build the prototype in Tehran? Are they really going to do test flights of a new Aircraft over the city? That's absurd!

 

[sahureka2]

A bit of a disappointment! Although Iran needs a sub sonic trainer as a step below jumping into a Simorgh / Saegheh-2 (F-5) I hoped for something better at least something that can not only do training but also has the payload capacity to do low level close Air Support something with a big gun, electro optics, PGM capability and a fairly good payload!

And why of all places would you build the prototype in Tehran? Are they really going to do test flights of a new Aircraft over the city? That's absurd!

What makes you think it is not already set up for support missions, all modern triner have this ability

from the photos, it is noted that the front landing gear is offset to one side, , perhaps leaving the other side a place at 20mm M39 ! or similari !!

 

[OldTwilight]

What makes you think it is not already set up for support missions, all modern triner have this ability

from the photos, it is noted that the front landing gear is offset to one side, , perhaps leaving the other side a place at 20mm M39 ! or similari !!

They won't mass produce it ... its Nth trainer jet project Iran and all of previous one were abandoned after making 1 or 2 prototype .... Officials just want the money ... Genreral Sattari had plane to make 300 modernized F-5 till 2005/2006 for first step of modernizing Iran Air force but with his death , his dream was abondend and others just want to pass days and get their salutary in the end of month ...

 

[sahureka2]

They won't mass produce it ... its Nth trainer jet project Iran and all of previous one were abandoned after making 1 or 2 prototype .... Officials just want the money ... Genreral Sattari had plane to make 300 modernized F-5 till 2005/2006 for first step of modernizing Iran Air force but with his death , his dream was abondend and others just want to pass days and get their salutary in the end of month ...

Possible but at the moment are just your suppositions, and as always, it will be the time that will be able to resolve the doubt "will be realized or not".
However unlike the F-5, I think you will not have to wait a long time.

 

[VEVAK]

What makes you think it is not already set up for support missions, all modern triner have this ability

from the photos, it is noted that the front landing gear is offset to one side, , perhaps leaving the other side a place at 20mm M39 ! or similari !!

If Iran only built 12 of these specifically for a certain level of training before your pilots quickly moved on to the F-5 then I would say OK! But even then the cost of R&D & resources wasted just to produce 12 of these would be too high and wouldn't make much sense!

This is the problem when you don't create competition! From the start there should have been 2-3 prototype projects competing with each other. Either 2 teams in one company or two separate government owned companies & one privet company(If available) competing for a contract of 50 to start & that way not only would the project moved on faster but the designs & equipment prebuilt into the design of the prototypes would have been much better!

And on a low thrust subsonic aircraft such as this you need to pre build the cannon & optics in the structure to reduce drag!

Also, future twin seat fighters will be designed to give the rear pilot the ability to control UAV's & something like this is vital for a country like Iran that doesn't have space based communication equipment and sensors! And this is a capability the government should have set as a requirement by analyzing what a future battlefield would look like
Also, I would even argue a low RCS airframe with minimal vertical surfaces & an internal weapons bay should have also been a requirement for an advanced subsonic trainer!

Iran doesn't have the budget to design an Aircraft for every situation and if your going to build an advanced subsonic aircraft then it needs to work both as a trainer and an attack aircraft and that means offensively at the very least the aircraft needs to be as capable as a Su-25 & A-10
That means with a low thrust Aircraft like the Kowsar your Gun & Optics should be prebuilt into the Airframe!

Iranian Pilots that would be training on an advance subsonic trainer already know how to fly so your not just teaching them how to fly a faster Aircraft but you also have to teach them to multi task faster! Target search, accusation & engagement while flying the aircraft and learning how to take full advantage of all your instrumentation!

The most simplistic design with limited capabilities & no foresight into the future is what you end up with when there is no competition!

 

[sahureka2]

This is just the first prototype, none of us at this time can know what it really can conceal within the plane's nose in the operational configuration, but I think the position of the front landing gear indicates that they have designed to have a lot of space Free from the opposite side,
Space I imagine could be profusely used for electronic systems and not only.
My personal interpretation, fantasizing about armament, and also using the free space in the plane's nose.

However I did not exaggerate !!??

Certainly, in order to be competitive and economically feasible it must be built in all versions,: trainer, close air support, reconnaissance, in at least one hundred aircraft