Iran Adds New Fighter Jet To Air Force

[Kobus_NL]

In the article they call this new A/C "Saegheh (Thunder)".
I think they made a mistake because this is a missile.
The new aircraft is called "Saeqeh (Lightning)" and this is a modified F-5.

 

[Grand Danois]

Since when could a F-5 mod be "more capable" than a F-18 ???

I think you're right about the name.

Iran Adds New Fighter Jet To Air Force
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE | Thu, September 7th, 2006, 02:30


Tehran: Iran on Wednesday said it has developed a new warplane named "Thunder," which it described as similar to the American F-18 fighter jet. The fighter jet is "similar to the F-18 fighter jet, but it is more capable and has been manufactured domestically," the commander of the Iranian army General Attollah Salehi was quoted as saying by the state news agency IRNA.

Iranian state television reported that the jet "is able to fire rockets and also to drop bombs and is equipped with an advanced radar system.

"The fighter jet Saegheh (Thunder), after successful military operations and accurately firing air-to-surface rockets in the Zolfaghar Blow maneuvers, came into the service of the Iranian air force today," the report said.

The air force, army and navy have been showing off their capabilities and new hardware for the last month in the Zolfaghar Blow war games, which come amid mounting international concern over Tehran's nuclear programme.

The report added "the plane, which has flown dozens of experimental flights during the last year, joined the air force with full fighting capacity."

Salehi told IRNA the jet was "designed, remodeled, optimized and made more capable by our engineers," and added that "no country has aided us in its production."

US President George W. Bush on Tuesday called Iran's leaders "tyrants" as dangerous as Al-Qaeda terrorists and said they must not be allowed to get nuclear weapons -- "the tools of mass murder."

Tehran has insisted that it seeks only civilian nuclear power, but is facing a US drive for sanctions on the UN Security Council after missing a deadline ordering it to halt sensitive uranium enrichment operations.

Defencetalk.com/news

 

[Musashi_kenshin]

Since when could a F-5 mod be "more capable" than a F-18 ???

Indeed. Who considers it similar/"more capable" and why should be the question asked. Of course the Iranians will claim anything.

 

[Grand Danois]

Indeed. Who considers it similar/"more capable" and why should be the question asked. Of course the Iranians will claim anything.

Of course I consider the claim ridiculous! A 60's vintage light fighter more capable than an F-18? It has little payload and room for avionics and weapons, so how much can you reasonably upgrade it... I don't think it would be used operationally, but is rather a testbed for some research...

 

[Big-E]

:lol3 Thanks for this thread, I really needed this laugh... F-5 rip off better than my Hornet, even my old bird.:lol3

 

[abramsteve]

If they feel they can go head to head with a Hornet with one of those then lets let em try?! :lol3

Clowns

However it is an interesting looking aircraft. I wonder what its advantages actually are...

 

[isthvan]

It looks like F-20 and YF-17 bastard childe…

 

[Big-E]

If they feel they can go head to head with a Hornet with one of those then lets let em try?! :lol3

Clowns

However it is an interesting looking aircraft. I wonder what its advantages actually are...

It's actually less capable I would imagine. They built the engine themselves so it can't be too powerful. The dual tail fin on such a slender aircraft actually makes the turning radius wider, that's why they didn't put it on the original F-5. They probably did it to adjust for pitch problems they had copying the design.

 

[Burner]

What can I say? Either they don't know what they're talking about, or this is all just dumb propaganda.:rotfl The aircraft looks nice with that twin tail (though it might affect its agillity), the only resemblance with the Hornet I think, also the nose and engine intakes are slighty different, but apart from that I see a F-5.

Iranian state television reported that the jet "is able to fire rockets and also to drop bombs and is equipped with an advanced radar system.

The MiG-21 (and I'm not talking about the Lancer either) is more than capable of firing rockets and dropping bombs as any decent fighter (including the F-5) is able to do that, so what's the big deal about it? Advanced radar system? I doubt it has more than an upgraded radar. I wouldn't take that aircraft against a Lancer (similar size, but better performance and avionics), little less against a F/A-18. This has "propaganda" written all over it.4 Anyway, I would like to see some specifications for this jet.

 

[merocaine]

come on give em some credit, its not like they get alot of help building this stuff, most of the rest of the mid east could'ent build a calculator without western help.

 

[Burner]

Saying that this jet is "similar to the F-18 fighter jet, but it is more capable" is very, very dubious. You simply can't make the F-5 better than a Hornet. Ok, let's say they can somehow make it faster or more maneuverable, it would still be inferior to a Hornet when it comes to avionics. And no Hornet pilot will wait for that F-5/F-20 copy to get close enough for a dogfight. What kind of AA missiles does that fighter carry? What are the capabilities of its radar (range, modes etc)? What kind of ECM equipment does it carry? Don't tell me that they turned a '60s fighter into a 4.5 gen fighter. With every upgrade, the F-16 gets bigger, fatter, you can actually see where they install new avionics, look at the fuselage. That aircraft looks almost the same as a F-5. And this is just a bird's eye view so to say. I'm not getting into details.

 

[Grand Danois]

come on give em some credit, its not like they get alot of help building this stuff, most of the rest of the mid east could'ent build a calculator without western help.

I don't think it is the aircraft or the mod of it per se that is getting bashed, but rather how it is being presented by Iran.

 

[falconlover81]

guys its difficult to say anything at this moment not that i support this claim that it is equal to an f/a-18 hornet but we really dont know anything about this aircraft's avionics the missiles or armament it can carry and the aircraft's engine they probably must have received assistance from russia on this one but still guys three decades old airframe cannot be equal to a hornet can it??????

 

[Scorpius]

I admit they overdo it sometimes.Its true that they are the only self-sufficient nation in the ME but they still overdo it sometimes.

 

[merocaine]

Yeah they talk a lot of shite about there gear, but you got to start somewhere.
As long as its fast got a powerful radar and some long range air to air missles it should be capable enough as a basic interceptor.

 

[Wooki]

I dunno,

looks like it would make for a good movie prop for the next "Topgun" .Always thought the F-5 in the movie was a bit chinsey.

I wonder if they can get Stephen Low and an IMAX crew out to the Enterprise and rig up a Super Hornet before it sorties to shoot a couple down. Not too many at once though.

Now that would make for a great flick to spend 10 bucks on.

Cheers

W

 

[ChthonicPowers]

hey come on guys. Maybe its 1st April according to Persian calendar or they celeberate it on 1st September. Look, even the news agency is named "Farce"..........



Seriously though, I think this news item was supposed or atleast should've been for domestic consumption. The Iranians r intelligent enough (hey they're making nukes allegedly) not to make such claims in front of global audience.

 

[contedicavour]

Iran is copying a lot of its imported '60s and '70s equipment.
Their navy is copying '70s Combattantes FACs and '70s British-built FFGs.
Their air force is now copying F5s (though I agree it resembles the F20 more than the F5).
So what... these are still obsolete equipment...
Honestly Iran would be better off buying SU30s from Russia than spending money replicating museum pieces

cheers

 

[Big-E]

I wonder if they can get Stephen Low and an IMAX crew out to the Enterprise and rig up a Super Hornet before it sorties to shoot a couple down. Not too many at once though.

Now that would make for a great flick to spend 10 bucks on.

Cheers

W

If they don't give up their nukes I wouldn't be suprised if they transfered me to ship duty... of course I would request Enterprise. I imagine we will be going up against this fighter, I can take my video camera with me.:eek

 

[icelord]

See, i think they were misunderstood, they ment to say, the screws on this fighter are similar to an F/A18 Hornet, if not better., you know, these translators sometimes over estimate things