Imperial Iranian AirForce

[Pakistanisage]

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Nice tale of a "Has been " Imperial Iranian Air Force. Iranian Air Force has been a joke in last 30 years. They are still flying the Equipment they purchased in Mid-Seventies. They need to modernize their Air Force and purchase some aircrafts like JF-17 and J-10 from china.

[longbrained]

Nice tale of a "Has been " Imperial Iranian Air Force. Iranian Air Force has been a joke in last 30 years. They are still flying the Equipment they purchased in Mid-Seventies.

Not true. They got Mig-29's in mid 1990's from Russia and the F-7's in late 1990's from China.

[soufle]

250 F-16??

[abbasniazi]

Its Amazing to know how modern the IIAF was at that time and how futuristic the then Shah of Iran was, he not only acquired state of the art aircrafts and air defence systems but laid down the basis for self reliance as far as training is concerned in all fields....

[GHOST RIDER]

After the installation of the first mobile radar, the Air Defense Department was established and Captain Hossein Soroodi became its first Commander.
The first fixed British radar was installed in Tabriz, and 1st Lt. Hassan Shayegan assisted the British with its installation. Capt. Filsoof was assigned as the first Commander of this station. Then the following radar stations were set up in Babolsar, Mashhad and ShahrAbad. After the installation of the first four British made radar systems, the United States stepped forward and equipped the IIAF with American-made radar systems.

Attention was then turned to the Southwest and Southern borders where Russian allies such as Iraq, Syria, Egypt, and Libya posed a threat and could easily approach Iran.
In 1965 Lt. Iraj Ghaffari and Lt. Haghpanah were sent to Tyndal AFB (Panama City-Florida) to attend the " Weapons Controller Course" (was called "Fighter Controller Course" by the British). After completion of the course they returned to Iran and assisted the Americans with the installation of the first two American Radars in Dezful (Dehlooran Near Vahdati Air Base) and Hamadan (Soobashi near Shahroukhi Air Base). Consequently, the Americans formed two mobile training teams at these Air bases. Originally these two officers assisted the American teams to train IIAF- ADC Fighter Controller Officers and later on performed the task by themselves.
The following is a list of the radar stations that were established:

Tehran (first British built mobile radar installed in Tehran-Doushan Tapeh)
Karadj (American radar)Purchased from USA" Westinghouse Co." & was installed by Westinghouse
Tabriz (British radar)
Baboolsar (British radar)
Mashhad (British radar) Purchased from England " Marcony Co." & was installed by Marcony
ShahrAbad (40KM NW of Bojnoord - British radar) Purchased from England " Marcony Co." & was installed by Marcony
Dezful (Dehlooran - American radar) Given to IIAF by USA as Military Assistance Program (MAP)under project "Spellout"
Hamadan (Soobashi - American radar) Given to IIAF by USA as Military Assistance Program (MAP)under project "Spellout"
Bushehr British mobile radar, later becoming American radar. Given to IIAF by USA as Military Assistance Program (MAP)under project "Peace Ruby"
Isfahan (American radar)
Bandare Abbas (American radar) Given to IIAF by USA as Military Assistance Program (MAP)under project "Peace Ruby"
Bandare Jask (American radar) Given to IIAF by USA as Military Assistance Program (MAP)under project "Peace Ruby"
Kish Island (American radar) Given to IIAF by USA as Military Assistance Program (MAP)under project "Peace Ruby"
Chah-Bahar (Incomplete Air Force, Navy & Army military complex - designated to have American Radar) Purchased from USA" Westinghouse Co." & was going to be installed by Westinghouse

[GHOST RIDER]

The IIAF also purchased 8 GPS-11 the American Moraine-Band radar Mobile System that consisted of: Westinghouse AN/TPS-43 Radar & Tropospheric scatter (E layer) Communication System as a backup to the fixed radars. In addition to the aforementioned fixed sites there were also the following mobile radar sites "Under construction":
Lengeh Near Bandare Lengeh
Taheri Near Bandare Taheri
Kohkilooyeh Near Behbahan
Abdanaan Near Dezful
Kerend Near Ghasre Shirin
In 1979 more than 90% of the job was completed.


All these 19 radar sites and facilities were built in less than 15 years. (1962-1977).


Each radar site had the capacity to house 3000 to 7000 personnel and their families, and consisted of the following facilities:
-Communications Sites which provided the state of the art communications network throughout the sites, the radar stations and the high command.
-Anti-aircraft Hawk & Rapier ground to air missile sites,
-"Hawk" ground to air missile system with its control and guidance system AN/TSQ-73 for high altitude targets and
-"Rapier" ground to air Missile system for Low altitude targets.
-Air Defense radars were linked to their respective defensive Hawk and Rapier Anti Aircraft missiles radar systems.
-Anti-aircraft artillery (AAA) Urlikan Guns
-Headquarter Buildings
-Guard housing, support facilities, and motor pool
-Housing community, BOQ and guest houses.
-Banks, commissary, theatres, and schools.
-Officer's, Homafar's and NCOs Club.
-Medical and sports facilities.
-Landing strip / airport, ATC and their associated facilities


"Hawk" for high altitude targets


"Rapier" for Low altitude targets

[GHOST RIDER]

From 1957 to 1979, the Air Defense Command commanders were:
Capt. Hossein Soroodi
Lt. Col. Ali Nakhjawan
Col. Khalil Nadji
Brig. Gen. Esfandiari (Lt. Gen. M.H.Esfandiari ADC commander from 1961-1974)
General Amir Kamiabi Pour
General Saeed Mehdiyoun
General Shapour Khourammi

[GHOST RIDER]

The large white domes of radar on hilltops and mountains could be seen from miles away making them easy targets. The IIAF decided to purchase the F-14 Tomcat which could be used as an airborne radar system. The F-14 Tomcat is the US Navy's carrier based two-seat air defense, intercept, strike and reconnaissance aircraft. The aircraft was developed by Grumman and entered service with the US Navy in 1972 and IIAF in 1974.
The IIAF was the only foreign force in the world allowed by the US government to have F-14's.
The F-14 Tomcats were purchased to be stationed at Chah-Bahar to defend the Iranian interest in the Persian Gulf, Sea of Oman and the Indian Ocean. When the F-14's arrival in 1974 the Chah-Bahar Air Base was not ready as an interim measure they were transferred to Isfahan.

Plans for using AWACS an airborne air defense capability were also underway, eight AWACS were negotiated for, five were ordered and three were ready for delivery. AWACS an aerial radar platform with its main advantages such as: over the horizon extended line of sight and look down capability that is not troubled by the ducting phenomenon the prevailing atmospheric condition in the Persian Gulf region {the significance for defense is that radio waves, such as radar, can be trapped in a duct [if the ray curvature within a thermal inversion is stronger than the curvature of the Earth's surface, rays can be continuously guided along the surface of the Earth without ever escaping to space, this region in which rays are trapped is called a duct] and propagate along a path following the curvature of the earth's surface, instead of traveling in a straight line. This bending of the radio wave path is caused by the refractive properties of the atmosphere and sometimes results in waves bouncing along the sea surface for long distances}.
At the same time, there were two large projects called "Sik-Switch" and "Sik-Sentury".Sik-Switch was for communications (including satellite), and Sik-Sentury served the airborne defense systems.

[Abii]

I'll take what we have today over what we had back then any day of the week. Having an state of the art air force is useless if you have to ask your real owners for permission to use it and if you have to rely on the real owners for maintenance and supporting weapons etc... wtf is the point?

Look at how many times we've bombed Iraqi Kurdistan in the past decade alone! you think this was possible during the shah's time?

food for thought

[Xracer]

Thanks Ghost Rider for such formative thread.thanks dude Love you

[krash]

Not true. They got Mig-29's in mid 1990's from Russia and the F-7's in late 1990's from China.

Only 24 mig-29s and the 2 mig-29 UBKs which fled from Iraq during the first gulf war. 126 additional planes should have been built under license (plant in Mehrabad) but that plan succumbed to US pressure.

[Arian]

Only 24 mig-29s and the 2 mig-29 UBKs which fled from Iraq during the first gulf war. 126 additional planes should have been built under license (plant in Mehrabad) but that plan succumbed to US pressure.

Iran got 40 Mig29's, 24 of them are from the Iraqi fleet that fled from Iraq to Iran.

[GHOST RIDER]

as far is training is concerned

IIAF Air Training Center

[GHOST RIDER]

IIAF cadets in Pakistan

[GHOST RIDER]

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One of the first pilots of IIAF