The HESA Azarakhsh ( fa, آذرخش ''Âzarakhš'', "Thunderbolt") is a jet fighter aircraft manufactured by the
Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industrial Company
Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industrial Company (HESA), ( fa, شرکت صنایع هواپیماسازی ایران — هسا) or Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industries Corporation, is an Iranian aircraft production company. Established in 1976 ...
(HESA). It is widely regarded as a rebuilt and renamed American
Northrop F-5
The Northrop F-5 is a family of supersonic light fighter aircraft initially designed as a privately funded project in the late 1950s by Northrop Corporation. There are two main models, the original F-5A and F-5B Freedom Fighter variants and t ...
Freedom Fighter/Tiger II
although Iranian authorities claim it is Iran's first domestically manufactured combat jet fighter.
The Azarakhsh was developed in Isfahan by the Iranian army, the Iranian Defense Ministry, and aircraft-manufacturing company HESA.
Development
In April 1997 Iranian Brigadier General Arasteh, a deputy head of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, declared that Iran had successfully designed, constructed and tested its first fighter aircraft. By late 1997 it was reported that Iran had begun producing the aircraft
and by mid-2000 four aircraft were said to be undergoing operational tests, with production proceeding at a rate of around ten aircraft per year.
On May 17, 2000, Iran's acting commander of the Air Force said that Azarakhsh had reached mass-production stage.
On August 5, 2007, Azarakhsh conducted a successful test flight. On August 6, 2007, Ministry of Defense Mostafa Mohammad-Najjar said, "
zarakhsh/nowiki> is now at the stage of industrial production and its mass production will start in the future."
Design
Azarakhsh
Production started by late 1997 and as of 2001 there were six aircraft reported to be in service.Northrop F-5
The Northrop F-5 is a family of supersonic light fighter aircraft initially designed as a privately funded project in the late 1950s by Northrop Corporation. There are two main models, the original F-5A and F-5B Freedom Fighter variants and t ...
E. Coupled with the fact only very few Azarakhsh jets have been observed since the claimed start of production indicates that the Azarakhsh is not a new-built jet fighter, but a rebuild of existing Northrop F-5
The Northrop F-5 is a family of supersonic light fighter aircraft initially designed as a privately funded project in the late 1950s by Northrop Corporation. There are two main models, the original F-5A and F-5B Freedom Fighter variants and t ...
s.
Saeqeh
The HESA Saeqeh
The HESA Saeqeh ( fa, صاعقه, "thunderbolt"), alternatively spelt Sa'eqeh; Saegheh, or Saeqeh-80, is an Iranian built single-seat jet fighter, derived from the American Northrop F-5. A joint product of the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force ...
is a follow on aircraft, derived from the Azarakhsh fighter. As with many previous indigenous Iranian developed weapons, no performance data has been released to verify official claims. An unknown number of this generation have been built and are reported to have entered service with the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF) on September 22, 2007.IRNA
The Islamic Republic News Agency ( fa, خبرگزاری جمهوری اسلامی, ''Xebergâzari-ye Jimhuri-ye Eslâmi-ye''), or IRNA, is the official news agency of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Founded on 13 November 1934 as Pars News Agency ...
br>4th, 5th generations of Sa'eqe jet fighters to be produced
January 5, 2008[Payvand New]
September 20, 2007
Kowsar
In August 2018, IAIO unveiled the Kowsar (or Kosar) jet trainer and strike aircraft. The Kowsar will be produced in single and two-seater versions.
See also
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hesa Azarakhsh
Azarakhsh
1990s Iranian fighter aircraft
Twinjets
Low-wing aircraft