HESA Saeqeh
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| Saeqeh | |
|---|---|
| Role | Fighter |
| Manufacturer | Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industrial Company |
| First flight | July 2004 |
| Introduced | 22 September 2007 |
| Status | Operational |
| Primary user | Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force |
| Number built | At least 3 [1] |
| Developed from | F-5E Tiger II HESA Azarakhsh |
Saeqeh (Persian "thunderbolt", alternative spellings: Sa'eqeh; Saegheh), or Saeqeh-80[1], is an Iranian single-seater fighter jet. It is the second generation of the Iranian Azarakhsh fighter. Saeqeh fighter planes tested successfully in Iran 20 September 2007 and (like the first generation) appears to be based on the US F-5E. The Saeqeh is a joint product of the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force and the Iranian Ministry of Defense. Official announcements claim that the Saeqeh is domestically-built[2].
The first prototype of the jet was shown on state television making a test flight in July 2004[2]. According to the translation[3] by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) of a broadcast on Islamic Republic of Iran News Network (IRINN), the Saeqeh became operational on September 6, 2006, when it participated in an Iranian military wargame exercise called "Blow of Zolfaqar". In that exercise, which began August 19, 2006, the new fighter carried out actions described as "a mission to bomb virtual enemy targets",[4] and "a mock bombing mission"[5] Two prototypes, which appeared to differ from the one that had been shown previously, conducted a fly-past at Tehran's Mehrabad Airport on 20 September 2007[6]. Three prototypes took part in a military parade on 22 September 2007 [6].
Iran has announced that it will test fly the other variants of the Saeqeh in the near future which will differ from the previous aircraft due to major changes in its weapon system, aerodynamics and operational range[7].
Little information on the specifications of the Saeqeh has been released. The Commander of the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force, Brigadier-General Ahmad Mighani, said that the Saeqeh is up-to-date in terms of aerodynamic balance and in possessing missile and radar systems[8]. The Managing Director of the Aviation Organization of the Ministry of Defense and Logistics of the Armed Forces, Majid Hedayat, described the Saeqeh as a logistic and combat plane with high maneuvering capability and an ability to bombard close targets[8]. This suggests that the Saeqeh is largely intended to perform a ground-attack role[citation needed].
The Saeqeh has been optimistically compared with the US F/A-18 fighter, although it is unclear whether it is claimed that the jets have a similar performance capability or whether they are simply similar in appearance[7][9]. As with many previous indigenous Iranian developed weapons, no performance data has been released to verify "official" claims. In 2008 Iran announced the aircraft has a range of 3,000km.[3]
The Iranian Minister of Defense, Brigadier-General Mostafa Mohammad Najjar, announced that the Defense Ministry had started to design such a jet on 6 August 2007, which could not be the Saeqeh because it had already flown by that date[10].
Contents |
[edit] Specifications:
This aircraft article is missing some (or all) of its specifications. If you have a source, you can help Wikipedia by adding them.[edit] References
- ^ GlobalSecurity.org Saeqeh-80 / Owj
- ^ Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) Commander says air defense equipment provided domestically
- ^ MEMRITV.org MEMRI Transcript
- ^ Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) Saeqeh Fighter Plane Test-Flown In `Blow of Zolfaqar' Wargames
- ^ Payvands.com Iran Upgrades Aging US-Made Jet
- ^ a b farsnews.com President Inspects Home-Made Fighter Jets
- ^ a b farsnews.com Iran to Display 3rd Generation of Home-Made Fighter Jet
- ^ a b Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) Air Force has planned to manufacture cutting edge jet fighters (Replays to fix test-flight)
- ^ Iran exhibits its weapons in a show of force - Los Angeles Times
- ^ farsnews.com Iran to Manufacture Needed Parts of F14 Fighter Jets
[edit] External links
[edit] See also
- Saegheh short range missile
- Iran Aviation Industries Organization
- Iranian military industry
- Current Equipment of the Iranian Army
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Related development
Comparable aircraft
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