Immortals
Elite Member
There was/is a serious program to develop an engine.
What you have to realize is the people that “organize” these propaganda events are not the same people who have any say on the actual program. They are tenured corrupt politicians/geriatric ‘forever’ generals trying to score brownie points with Supreme Leader and show themselves as accomplished.
So Qaher was probably an early early mock up that someone in Ahmadinejad admin thought it would be good to score political points and show it off half a decade too soon.
But the reality is in last 12 years despite Iran’s greatest efforts there has been the no breakthru in engine tech in the RD-33 or AL-31 class. Sure they can probably reproduce a J-85 (owj) or similar class engine, but that’s not going to cut it to develop a heavy fighter (SU-35 class fighter) or even a medium (F-35 class) fighter.
And when Qaher was unveiled, Iran’s drone tech was still very primitive with it mostly compromised of Karrar and Iraq-era Ababil and Mohajer drones. So it was much too early to speculate Iran could convert it into a fighter jet drone when the wingman program didn’t even exist in U.S.
Iran wasn’t the drone power it was today in 2013. Its missile arsenal was still based on SCUD (Shahab-3). The RQ-170 while captured a few years prior wasn’t revealed yet in its domestic Shahed-171 form (would be revealed the following year in 2014).
So do I think there was an effort to build a serious attempt behind the scenes for a fighter jet? Yes, there is quite a number of indications (including espionage where Iranian engineer was caught trying to leave with F-35 engine blueprints).
Do I think that attempt was Qaher?
No, first you need a viable engine, THEN you build the plane. You don’t build a plane then decide what engine you can make that can fit inside it.
Qaher was likely one of many mock designs for once a suitable engine was ready. Someone leaked the mock design and then admin after admin had to “fake it till you make it” mantra to prevent an embarrassment.
The drone is absolutely stupid even in 100% form let alone 60% form. Its craftmanship is shoddy and will reflect radar beams. If after 12 years you can’t put together a decent project then it shows no one gives a damn about it besides politicians and corrupt generals. And those RC planes existed back in 2013 as well. Probably repainted and new body for the press photos.
