Iranian Air Force |
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This is a list of aircraft types operated by the Iranian Air Force , not including those operated by the Aerospace Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. This list also includes aircraft operated by Imperial Iranian Army Aviation prior to the foundation of the Air Force as a separate service in August 1955.
In 2007, Iraq asked Iran to return some of the scores of Iraqi fighter planes that flew there ahead of the Persian Gulf War in 1991. [1] And as of 2014, Iran was receptive to the demands and was working on refurbishing an unspecified number of jets. [2] [3] In late 2014, Iran returned some of the impounded Iraqi military aircraft to Iraq. [4]
Aircraft | Origin | Type | Versions | Number | Years | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mikoyan MiG-29 | Russia | Multirole-fighter Trainer | MiG-29 (9.12B) MiG-29UB | 30 | 1991 | 24 MiG-29 delivered in 1990. Iran also took several ex-Iraqi MiG-29 aircraft flown over in 1991, including one MiG-29UB. The current number of MiG-29 in active service is unknown. According to Russian media up to 30 (24 MiG-29 product 9.12B and 6 MiG-29UB 9.51) of all MiG-29s have been overhauled and can now be armed with Nasr-1 anti-ship missiles. [5] [6] [7] In 2018, a MiG-29 crashed and was destroyed due to a technical fault.[ citation needed ] |
Grumman F-14 Tomcat | US | Multirole-fighter | F-14A | 40 | 1974–present | 80 examples ordered, 79 were originally delivered; the only plane to use the Phoenix missile. 40 in inventory. [6] Iran currently has about 40 F-14 remaining with two of them having been upgraded to F-14AM [8] around 20 Fully Mission Capable and the other 20 Partially Mission Capable[ citation needed ] |
Aircraft | Origin | Type | Versions | Number | Years | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
HESA Saeqeh | Iran | Light fighter | Saegheh-1/2 | 6 [9] | 2006–present | Is claimed to be heavily upgraded and indigenously made |
HESA Kowsar | Iran | Fighter aircraft | 4 [9] [10] | 2018–present | Western analysts have described the plane as inefficient as a weapon, but having potential for training a new generation of Iranian fighter pilots. According to the Iranian state-media, this fighter jet has "advanced avionics" and multipurpose radar, and it was "100-percent indigenously made". It also uses digital data networks, a glass cockpit, heads-up display (HUD), ballistic computers and smart mobile mapping systems. | |
HESA Azarakhsh | Iran | Light fighter | First Generation (includes twin-seat version) | 4 | 2015 | Rebuilt F-5E. |
Chengdu J-7 | China | Fighter aircraft | N/MB | 24 | 1991–present | Chinese license-built MiG-21 |
Mirage F1 | France | Fighter aircraft | F1EQ/F1BQ | 23 | 1991–present | Iran received 24 F1BQs and F1EQs flown over from Iraq, during the 1991 Persian Gulf War. One Mirage F1BQ from Mashhad AFB (TFB.14) was shot down on July 8, 2001 by the Taliban with Sa-16/18 Manpad while involved in countering drug-smuggling at the Afghan border. |
McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II | US | Interceptor | F-4D/E RF-4E | 64 | 1968–present | 225 examples ordered and delivered. According to Global Security 60 F-4D/E and 4 RF-4Es remain. [6] 10 are F-4Ds and 50 are F-4Es. [11] F-4Ds/Es are currently undergoing an upgrade program which includes a new Chinese-built radar and other avionics and weapons namely PL-5E, PL-11 and C-801.(According to the aviationist (October 2013) the Qader cruise missile that went into mass production was successfully tested on an F-4). [6] [7] |
Northrop F-5 Tiger II | US | Light fighter | F-5E F-5F | 60 [6] | 1974–present | 181 examples ordered and delivered. According to Global Security 60 F-5's remain [6] This includes about 16 F-5F dual seat trainers and 44 F-5E fighter bomber [11] |
Aircraft | Origin | Type | Versions | Number | Years | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sukhoi Su-24 | Russia | Strike/air-to-air refuelling "buddy" tanker | Su-24MK | 32 | 1991 | 12 aircraft supplied by Russia in 1991.[ citation needed ] 24 Iraqi examples were evacuated to Iran during the 1991 Gulf War and were put in service with the IRIAF. 3 of them crashed and was destroyed due to a technical fault. 30 Su-24MKs in service as of January 2013. [12] [6] Iran tested domestically produced, anti-radar smart missiles carried by Su-24 aircraft in September 2011. [13] |
Su-22 | Russia | Fighter-Bomber | Su-22M3/M4 | 20 | 1991–present | The Iranian Air Force received 40 Su-20/22s from Iraq in 1991. [14] While non-operational for several years, Iran started in 2013 an overhauling program for these. [15] In March 2015, 10 of the Iranian Air Force Su-22 were transferred to the Syrian Arab Air Force to fight in the ongoing Civil War. [16] In July 2018, Iranian military technical experts successfully overhauled and modernized 10 Su-22s, giving them the ability to carry smart bombs, fire precision-guided munitions, transfer data from UAVs and in the near future the necessary systems to use air-launched cruise missiles with a range of 1500 km. The overhauled planes are being used by IRGC's Air Force. [17] [18] |
Aircraft | Origin | Type | Versions | Number | Years | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Lockheed P-3 Orion | US | maritime patrol | P-3F | 3 | 1974–present | 3 in service |
Aircraft | Origin | Type | Versions | Number | Years | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
HESA IrAn-140 | Iran | Transport/AWACS/Maritime patrol | 7[ citation needed ] | Project appears to have been stalled or cancelled. [19] | ||
Ilyushin Il-76 | Soviet Union | Transport/AWACS | IL-76MD Adnan | 1[ citation needed ] | 1991–Present | One AWACS-converted Il-76 crashed in 2009. [20] |
Aircraft | Origin | Type | Versions | Number | Years | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Antonov An-74 | Ukraine | utility transport | 12 | All assigned to IRGCAF, not IRIAF. | ||
Ilyushin Il-76 | Russia | tactical airlift/transport | 12 [6] | |||
Dassault Falcon 20 | France | VIP transport | 3 | |||
Dassault Falcon 50 | France | VIP transport | 1 | |||
Fokker F27 Friendship | Netherlands | tactical airlift/transport and target towing | F27-400M F27-600 | 12 | 1972–present | |
Pilatus PC-6 Porter | Switzerland | utility transport | 15 | |||
Boeing 707 | US | VIP transport transport air-to-air refuelling tanker | 707-368C 707-3J9C | 1 2 | 1974– | 1 tanker, 2 transports Global security reports that one 707 is a tanker and two are transports. [6] |
Boeing 747 | US | VIP transport/freighter | 747-100 747-100F 747-200F | 6 | 2 tanker, 4 transports.One is used for electronic warfare. [6] | |
Lockheed C-130 Hercules | US | tactical airlift/transport | C-130E C-130H | 27 [6] | Nine visible on Google Maps at Mehrabad Air Base, with various underwing stores and some do not appear to have all four engines installed. | |
Lockheed JetStar | US | VIP transport | JetStar 8 | 2 | 1 operational in 2008 |
Aircraft | Origin | Type | Versions | Number | Years | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fajr F.3 | Iran | trainer | F.3 | 2 | ||
HESA Dorna | Iran | Trainer | 1 | 2016 | Prototype | |
IRIAF Parastu-14 | Iran | trainer | 12 | 12 as of 2005. [6] | ||
HESA Yasin | Iran | Advanced Trainer | 2+ | HESA Yasin (formerly known as Kowsar 88) is a light aircraft and advance training aircraft designed and manufactured by Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Company at the request of the Air Force of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Yassin uses two 7,000-pound turbojet engines and is on par with the Russian MiG-AT jet. | ||
HESA Simorgh / Northrop F-5 B | Iran | Advanced Trainer | 9 | F-5As converted domestically to F-5B standard. | ||
Chengdu FT-7 | China | Advanced Trainer | FT.7 | 14 | Dual-seat J-7 conversion trainer. Some reports indicates that 5 are in service. [6] Scramble notes 14 active. [21] | |
TB-21 Tobago / TB-200 Trinidad | France | trainer | 12 | 12 trainers in service. [6] | ||
PAC MFI-17 Mushshak | Pakistan | trainer | 25 | 25 trainers in service. [6] | ||
Pilatus PC-7 Turbo Trainer | Switzerland | trainer | 45 | |||
Beechcraft Bonanza | US | trainer | F.33 | 28 | ||
Yak-130 | Russia | trainer/CAS | 2+ | [22] |
Aircraft | Origin | Type | Variant | Number[ citation needed ] | Years | Notes |
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Agusta Bell 206 | Italy | Light utility/trainer | AB 206 | 20 | Licence-built in Italy. | |
Agusta-Bell 212 | Italy | Utility | AB-212 | 1 | Licence-built in Italy. 1 lost 19 May 2024. [23] | |
Boeing CH-47 Chinook | US | Heavy-lift transport | CH-47C | 20-30 |
These types were also purchased by the Iranian government
A number of other types have been in recent, or reported to be in, Iranian service. Many remain in reserve storage or are operated by the Army or Navy. Some recent types include:
Iran has a number of UAVs and UCAVs, currently under operation of the Iranian Army Aviation.
The Sukhoi Su-35 is the designation for two improved derivatives of the Su-27 air-defence fighter. They are single-seat, twin-engine, supermaneuverable air superiority fighters, designed by the Sukhoi Design Bureau and built by Sukhoi.
The Sukhoi Su-25 Grach is a subsonic, single-seat, twin-engine jet aircraft developed in the Soviet Union by Sukhoi. It was designed to provide close air support for Soviet Ground Forces. The first prototype made its maiden flight on 22 February 1975. After testing, the aircraft went into series production in 1978 in Tbilisi in the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic.
The Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force is the aviation branch of the Islamic Republic of Iran Army. The present air force came into being when the Imperial Iranian Air Force was renamed in 1979 following the Iranian Revolution. The IRIAF was heavily involved in the Iran–Iraq War, carrying out major operations like Operation Kaman 99, Operation Sultan 10, the H-3 airstrike, and the first attack on a nuclear reactor in history, Operation Scorch Sword. As a result of eight years of aerial combat in that conflict, the IRIAF has the second highest claimed number of fighter aces in the region, exceeded only by the Israeli Air Force; as many as seven IRIAF pilots claimed more than six kills, mostly achieved in the F-14 Tomcat. Veterans of the Iran–Iraq War would go on to form the core of the IRIAF command.
The Sukhoi Su-17 is a variable-sweep wing fighter-bomber developed for the Soviet military. Developed from the Sukhoi Su-7, the Su-17 was the first variable-sweep wing aircraft to enter Soviet service and featured updated avionics. The aircraft also has variants which were designed to be exported to non-Soviet states such as the Sukhoi Su-22 and the less popular Su-20.
The Yakovlev Yak-130 is a subsonic two-seat advanced jet trainer and light combat aircraft originally developed by Yakovlev and Aermacchi as the "Yak/AEM-130". It has also been marketed as a potential light attack aircraft. Development of the aircraft began in 1991 and the maiden flight was conducted on 25 April 1996. In 2002, it won a Russian government tender for training aircraft and in 2010 the aircraft entered service with the Russian Air Force. As an advanced training aircraft, the Yak-130 is able to replicate the characteristics of several 4+ generation fighters as well as the fifth-generation Sukhoi Su-57. It can also perform light-attack and reconnaissance duties, carrying a combat load of 3,000 kg (6,600 lb).
The Iraqi Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the Iraqi Armed Forces. It is responsible for the defense of Iraqi airspace as well as the policing of its international borders. The IQAF also acts as a support force for the Iraqi Navy and the Iraqi Army, which allows Iraq to rapidly deploy its military. It is headquartered in Baghdad; the current commander is Lieutenant Gen. Shihab Jahid Ali.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Aerospace Force, officially known as the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Air and Space Force, is the strategic missile, air, and space force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). It was renamed from the IRGC Air Force to the IRGC Aerospace Force in 2009.
Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industrial Company (HESA), or Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industries Corporation, is an Iranian aircraft production company. Established in 1976, it belongs to the Iran Aviation Industries Organization (IAIO) and is located at Shahin Shahr, Isfahan province. Approximately 2 million square meters or 500 acres of land on which the company is established was gifted by the locally notable and well-regarded Boroumand family. The company has thousands of square meters of available grounds, and 250,000 square meters of shops and hangars are allocated to A/C part manufacturing, assembling, laboratories, flight test facilities and shops of preparation for production.
The IAIO Qaher-313 is a planned Iranian stealth unmanned aerial vehicle. Originally intended to be a manned single-seat fighter aircraft, the Qaher-313 was publicly announced on 1 February 2013. A press presentation about the project was made by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi on 2 February 2013, as part of the Ten-Day Dawn ceremonies. Independent experts have expressed significant doubts about the viability of the aircraft. In early 2023, Iranian media reported that the Qaher-313 was being reworked from a manned fighter aircraft into an unmanned aerial vehicle.
All young men who reach the age of 18 must spend about two years of compulsory military service in the Iranian army or the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Often, the General staff of the armed forces of Iran chooses where people will serve, and a person cannot choose where to serve. The length of conscription is between 18 months to 2 years.
Fateh-313, an Iranian solid-fuel short-range ballistic missile, was unveiled on 21 August 2015. The Fateh-313 missile is the newest model within the Fateh missiles family. It is almost identical to the previous generation, the Fateh-110, but utilizes a new composite fuel and body. These changes increased the range to 500 km, from the Fateh-110's 300 km. Iran’s Defense Ministry plans to mass produce the missile.
The HESA Kowsar is an Iranian fighter jet based on the American Northrop F-5. The aircraft is equipped with new fourth generation avionics in combination with an advanced fire control system.
On 18 June 2017, a United States Navy F/A-18E shot down a Syrian Air Force Su-22 Fitter with an AIM-120 AMRAAM missile after it reportedly attacked Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces positions in the town of Ja'Din. It was the first time the U.S. shot down a manned aircraft since 1999 and the first with the F/A-18E/F variant.
Isfahan Police Department is a police agency in Isfahan. In 2020 Isfahan Cyber Police's new building was opened.
The Mohajer-6 is an Iranian single-engine multirole ISTAR UAV capable of carrying a multispectral surveillance payload and/or up to four precision-guided munitions.
Iranian military bands refer to musical units that serve in ceremonial roles in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Islamic Republic of Iran Army. The Army also maintains military bands in its Ground Forces, Air Force, and Navy. All Iranian military bands follow French and Arab precedents in terms of percussion and bugles.
The Salman is a solid-propellant rocket motor designed and built by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. It is used as the second stage of the Qased and Qaem-100 satellite launch vehicles. The system was announced on 9 February 2020 and was launched for the first time on 22 April 2020, placing Iran's first military satellite, named Noor, into orbit.
The Qods Mohajer 10 is an Iranian UCAV unveiled in 2023. It has an operational range of 2000 km, its airframe has a visual resemblance to the MQ-9 Reaper. It has a 24 hour flight endurance ability and can carry up to 300 kg of cargo, including munitions and electronic equipments. It was officially unveiled in August 2023, in the presence of the Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and the Minister of Defense Brigadier-General Mohammad-Reza Gharaei Ashtiani.