List of aircraft of the Iranian Air Force

This is a list of aircraft types operated by the Iranian Air Force, not including those operated by the air arm of the Aerospace Force of the Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution 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 plans 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 gave some of the impounded former Iraqi military aircraft back to Iraq.[4]

Iranian Air Force

Hierarchical Structure History History of the Iranian Air Force Personnel List of senior officers Air Force Rank insignia Aircraft List of aircraft Air Bases List of air bases

Combat types

Air superiority fighters

Aircraft	Origin	Type	Versions	Number	Years	Notes
Grumman F-14 Tomcat	US	Interceptor	F-14A	40–43	1974–present	80 examples ordered, 79 were originally delivered; the only plane to use the Phoenix missile. 40 to 43 in inventory.[5] Iran currently has about 40 F-14 remaining with two of them having been upgraded to F-14AM[6] around 20 Fully Mission Capable and the other 20 Partially Mission Capable
Mikoyan MiG-29 Fulcrum	Russia	Multirole-fighter Trainer	MiG-29A Mig-29UB	40-44	1991	14 MiG-29 delivered in 1990. 20 more delivered in 1991. An additional 6 more delivered in 1993-1994. Iran also took 4 ex-Iraqi MiG-29 aircraft flown over in 1991, including one MiG-29UB. Only one dual seater was taken into service with 3 single seaters cannibalized for spare parts. The current number of MiG-29 in active service is unknown. According to Russian media up to 30 (24 MiG-29A 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 missile.[7][5][8]

Multirole fighters

Aircraft	Origin	Type	Versions	Number	Years	Notes
McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II	US	Multirole-fighter	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.[5] 10 are F-4Ds and 50 are F-4Es.[9] 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).[5][8]
Northrop F-5 Tiger II	US	Light fighter	F-5E F-5F	60[5]	1974–present	181 examples ordered and delivered. According to Global Security 60 F-5's remain[5] This includes about 16 F-5F dual seat trainers and 44 F-5E fighter bomber[9]
HESA Saeqeh	Iran	Light Fighter		12	2006	Is claimed to be heavily upgraded and indigenously made
Chengdu J-7	China	Fighter	N/MB	24
Mirage F1	France	Multirole-fighter	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 8th 2001 by the Taliban with Sa-16/18 Manpad while involved in countering drug-smuggling at the Afghan border.
HESA Kowsar	Iran	Fighter		5 }}	2018	Iranian Fourth-generation 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. Western analysts have described the plane to be 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.
Su-22	Russia	Fighter-Bomber	Su-22M3/M4	20	1991-	The Iranian Air Force received 40 Su-20/22s from Iraq in 1991.[10] While non-operational for several years, Iran started in 2013 an overhauling program for these.[11] 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.[12] 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.[13][14]

Ground attack

Aircraft	Origin	Type	Versions	Number	Years	Notes
HESA Azarakhsh	Iran	Light attack aircraft	First Generation (includes twin-seat version)	4	2015	Rebuilt F-5E.
Sukhoi Su-24	Russia	Strike/air-to-air refuelling "buddy" tanker	Su-24MK	30 to 36	1991	12 aircraft supplied by Russia in 1991. 24 Iraqi examples were evacuated to Iran during the 1991 Gulf War and were put in service with the IRIAF. 30 Su-24MKs in service as of January 2013.[15][5] Iran tested domestically produced, anti-radar smart missiles carried by Su-24 aircraft in September 2011, the IRIAF's Deputy Commander, General Mohammad Alavi said, according to IRINN TV.[16]

Future additions

Aircraft	Origin	Type	Versions	Number	Years	Notes
Saegheh 2	Iran	Fighter	Fighter jet	1	2016	The new generation of Saeqeh is a twin-seat fighter jet, which has more power, mobility, navigation equipment, fire power, pay load and operational range compared to its single-seat version.[17]
Qaher-313	Iran	Fighter	Fighter Jet	No data	2017	An Iranian Fifth-generation jet fighter. On 15 April 2017, the prototype Qaher-313 conducted taxi tests.[18]
HESA Shafaq	Iran	Trainer / Attack aircraft		No data	2017	Advanced light fighter/trainer, still in development

Reconnaissance, patrol, and EW

Maritime Patrol

Aircraft	Origin	Type	Versions	Number	Years	Notes
Lockheed P-3 Orion	US	maritime patrol	P-3F	5	1974–present	3 in service

Transport/AWACS/Maritime patrol

Aircraft	Origin	Type	Versions	Number	Years	Notes
HESA IrAn-140	Iran	Transport/AWACS/Maritime patrol		7		Project appears to have been stalled or cancelled.[19]

Transport and utility

Aircraft	Origin	Type	Versions	Number	Years	Notes
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.[5]
Boeing 747	US	VIP transport/freighter	747-100 747-100F 747-200F	6		2 tanker, 4 transports.One is used for electronic warfare.[5]
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
Ilyushin Il-76 Candid	Russia	tactical airlift/transport		15		According to magazine "Airforce", only 4–5 of them are fully operational
Lockheed C-130 Hercules	US	tactical airlift/transport	C-130E C-130H	27[5]		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
Pilatus PC-6 Porter	Switzerland	utility transport		15
Antonov An-74	Ukraine	utility transport		12		All assigned to IRGCAF, not IRIAF.

Trainers

Aircraft	Origin	Type	Versions	Number	Years	Notes
Chengdu FT-7	China	Advanced Trainer	FT.7	14		Dual-seat J-7 conversion trainer. Some reports indicates that 5 are in service.[5] Scramble notes 14 active.[20]
Beechcraft Bonanza	US	trainer	F.33	28
Fajr F.3	Iran	trainer	F.3	2
HESA Dorna	Iran	Trainer		1	2016	Prototype
IAMI Parastoo	Iran	trainer		12		12 as of 2005.[5]
HESA Simorgh / Northrop F-5 B	Iran	Advanced Trainer		9		F-5As converted domestically to F-5B standard.
Pilatus PC-7 Turbo Trainer	Switzerland	trainer		45
TB-21 Tobago / TB-200 Trinidad	France	trainer		12		12 traniers in service.[5]
PAC MFI-17 Mushshak	Pakistan	trainer		25		25 trainers in service.[5]
HESA Yasin	Iran	Advance 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-AET jet.

Helicopters

Aircraft	Origin	Type	Variant	Number	Years	Notes
Boeing CH-47 Chinook	US	Heavy-lift transport	CH-47C	2
Agusta-Bell 212	Italy	Utility	AB-212	2		Licence-built in Italy
Agusta Bell 206	Italy	Light utility/trainer	AB 206	3		Licence-built in Italy.

Other types

These types were also purchased by the Iranian government

• One Aero A.30 from Czechoslovakia in 1923
• One De Havilland DHC-4 Caribou in 1979

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:

• Mikoyan MiG-25 (formerly IQAF)
• Mikoyan MiG-23 (formerly IQAF)
• Shenyang J-6
• Boeing 727 (Cargo/transport)
• Hughes 300C
• Shabaviz 2-75 (Iranian origin, operated by the Army)
• Bell 204 UH-1 (40 operated by the Army)
• AH-1 SeaCobra (Received 204 examples, ~50 are operational and upgraded by HESA and in service with the Army)
• C-130 Hercules (Received 60 examples, 48 are operational, overhauled and upgraded by the Army)
• HESA Shahed 278
• Shahed 285 (40+ operated by Iranian forces)
• IAIO Toufan (40+ operated by IRIAA)
• Mi-17(47 operated by the Iranian air force)

Iran has a number of UAVs and UCAVs, currently under operation of the Iranian Army Aviation.

See also

• List of aircraft of the Aerospace Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps
• List of equipment of the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Defense Force

References

1. Colvin, Ross. "Iraq air force wants Iran to give back its planes". Archived from the original on 2017-10-11. Retrieved 2017-12-16.
2. "With new US planes slow to arrive, Iraq seeks remnants of Saddam's air force to bomb ISIL". Archived from the original on 2017-08-24. Retrieved 2017-08-23.
3. "Iraq cobbling together makeshift air force to fight ISIS". Washington Post. Archived from the original on 2017-09-01. Retrieved 2017-08-23.
4. "Iran returns military aircraft to Iraq after 20 years". 23 June 2014. Archived from the original on 24 August 2017. Retrieved 23 August 2017.
5. "Iran Air Force". globalsecurity.org. Archived from the original on 30 October 2014. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
6. "Analysis: Fakour Air-to-Air Missile". Archived from the original on 2018-07-27. Retrieved 2018-07-28.
7. {{cite web|url=https://www.ruaviation.com/news/2016/2/11/4991/|title=Iranian Air Force receives overhauled MiG-29 fighter jet and new Nasr missiles - News - Russian Aviation - RUAVIATION.COM|website=www.ruaviation.com}}
8. Taghvaee, Babak (June 2012). "Guardians of Tehran: Iranian Fulcrums". Combat Aircraft Monthly: 70–73.
9. "Scramble". www.scramble.nl. Archived from the original on 2017-08-25. Retrieved 2017-08-25.
10. "01IRIAF Su 22 Fitter1 :: Mycity-Military.com". www.mycity-military.com. Archived from the original on 2018-07-29. Retrieved 2018-07-29.
11. Boring, War Is (2013-12-18). "This Is How Iran Maintains Its Bizarre Air Force". War Is Boring. Archived from the original on 2017-09-13. Retrieved 2017-07-19.
12. "Warplanes: Iran Gives Syria Ten Iraqi Su-22s". www.strategypage.com. Archived from the original on 2018-02-04. Retrieved 2017-07-19.
13. "IRGC overhauls, upgrades 10 Sukhoi SU-22 fighter jets". 25 July 2018. Archived from the original on 26 July 2018. Retrieved 26 July 2018.
14. "Iran Upgrades 10 Su-22 Fighter Jets Domestically". www.defenseworld.net. Archived from the original on 2018-07-27. Retrieved 2018-07-27.
15. . World Military Aircraft Inventory. "2013 Aerospace". Aviation Week and Space Technology. January 2013.CS1 maint: others (link)
16. "Su-24 front-line bomber". airforceworld.com. September 2011. Archived from the original on 14 October 2011. Retrieved 5 Oct 2011.
17. "HESA Saeqeh Saeqeh-80 Azarakhsh-2 fighter aircraft". airrecognition.com. Archived from the original on 7 July 2015. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
18. "Iran Defense Ministry showcases achievements, including some making first appearances". Iran: PressTV. 15 April 2017. Archived from the original on 16 April 2017. Retrieved 15 April 2017.
19. "Iran rejects manufacturing Iran-140 passenger plane". 19 May 2015. Archived from the original on 12 August 2017. Retrieved 8 June 2017.
20. "Military Database - Scramble". www.scramble.nl.

Further reading

• Andrade, John (1982). Militair 1982. London: Aviation Press Limited. ISBN 0-907898-01-7.