HESA Saeqeh

For the shoulder launched anti-tank rocket, see Saegheh (Anti Tank Rocket).

For surface-to-surface missile system, see Saegheh.

Saeqeh (Persian (Arabic) "thunderbolt", alternative spellings: Sa'eqeh; Saegheh), or Saeqeh-80, is an Iranian single-seater fighter jet. It is the second generation of the Iranian Azarakhsh fighter 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.

The first prototype of the jet was shown on state television making a test flight in July 2004[2]. According to the translation 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", and "a mock bombing mission" 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. Three prototypes took part in a military parade on 22 September 2007 .

Iran has announced that it will test fly the third generation of the Saeqeh in the near future. Hassan Parvaneh, the executor of the project, said on 20 September 2007 that manufacture of the third generation of Saeqeh was underway and added that the new type will differ from the previous generations due to major changes in its weapon system, aerodynamics and operational range.

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. 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. This suggests that the Saeqeh is largely intended to perform a ground-attack role.

The Saeqeh has been described as similar to 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. As with many previous indigenous Iranian developed weapons, no performance data has been released to verify "official" claims

The Saeqeh has not been touted as a fifth-generation fighter, as has been erroneously suggested. 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.

References

• http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070920/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iran_fighter_jet

External links

• "New Iranian-made warplane revealed"
• Photograph of aircraft in flight

See also

• Saegheh short range missile
• Iran Aviation Industries Organization
• Iranian military industry
• Current Equipment of the Iranian Army

Related development

• Northrop F-5
• HESA Azarakhsh

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

• YF-17
• F-20

Related lists

• List of Iranian Air Force aircraft