You make very valid points and some are partially true indeed but I disagree with you concerning your description of the airforce being run by "politically appointed sycophants". Logically this flawed. These people are part and parcel of the same people making the great advances that you have already listed, and these advances are only the ones that are available to the public.
No they are not. Other forces made strides to the level that they are now showcasing their modern tech at global expos for exports. Look at where Iranian UCAVs, ADs, Missiles, Space, Navy is standing and where IRIAF is. IRIAF never got a sincere or visionary leader after the demise of General Sattari. Whatever local aviation sector Iran has (I posted a list on last page) started with him. After him General Shahsafi was good too, he is responsible for local sidewinder, PGM, F-14, F-4 upgradation programs. Rest were just clowns claiming 5th generation tech while their Kowsar program is stuck on assembly for 7 years.
I think most can agree that the military aviation sector of Iran has taking a backseat to the other sectors. What I disagree with you is why. I for one believe that this has to do with a very prudent strategy and the realities in which Iran had/has to contend with. Iran couldn't/can't prioritise the airforce until Iran was actually safe from invasion. The country has some of the most brilliant planners I've ever come across in my long experience on this rock.
Iran saved itself from invasion by losing airforce? what sort of logic is this. Modern warfare revolves around controlling airspace within and beyond borders. Iranian IADS is top notch and has performed well but it cant replace the part IRIAF could have played had the force been kept at its former level.
Now that offence, land and sea missiles and drones, has pretty much been taken cared off, it seems the final piece of pussel is manned aviation. The geopolitical environment has changed to Iran's favour and this advantage has been taken with the purchase of the SU-35, with hopefully a very high degree of TOT. This will further advance sector at home. Let's be patient!
Ok but remember we are getting a 1970s airframe (Su-35S=Su-27M) with PESA radars whose hypothetical delivery will complete when our neighborhood will be full of 5th gen. Majority will be F-35s. Iran should have opted for SU-57 in exchange for whatever Russia needed from Iran.
Greetings.
I have long harbored the same sentiments.
In a previous post I also referred to the question of morale in the service. Job security, *job satisfaction* and promotion opportunities are just the flip side of the same coin.
IRIAF has been unlucky, its most capable officers either were victims of war, some were purged, the majority of US trained war veterans left the country in 90s/2000s. Today pilots are still highly skilled but administration wise the force is cooked due to massive corruption/inefficiency. They should have given it to IRGCAF years back.
And yes, I am still rooting for a LR-BVR with ARH, onboard ECCM and with a range of 150km.
The above-mentioned missile reminds very strongly of a LR-BVR that ticks all of these boxes, namely Fakour-90B/Maghsoud. The legacy Fakour-90 uses SARH.
Its size and weight will unfortunately severely limit which a/c will carry it.
Fakour-90 is gone the day F-14 fleet retires. There is reason only 100 Missiles were manufactured while the need for a fleet of 40 airframes should have been in excess of ~400. Lets see if and how many R-37 come with SU-35S fleet. Ideally the number should be as high as possible.
A missile that has been referred to in this forum as 'Arash' - a lightweight AIM-7E2 - should be pursued with the necessary zeal to make it available for deployment on medium and light a/c. Kudo's if Iran can pull such a round from the realms of vapor-ware to real-ware.
I am looking forward to see your list pertaining to aviation developments in Iran.
Piet
They should rather opt for additional numbers of R-77-1 or M if they can.
You are indeed right to showcase the significant achievements/capabilities in the manned aviation domain, be it avionics, weapons, engines and airframe systems, the biggest issue being that so far very little of that has been translated into effective operational deployment. Like in the past we're on the same page here. Would Khamenei and other top brass be so naive as to not realize what's been happening in the manned aviation sector?
Everyone knows but they are scared of disturbing the power balance by pointing out the corruption. In stiff systems like IRI, Khamenei has to keep different sections happy to stay in power. These power groups are often tied to cash embezzlement through meaningless defense projects/stunts so it is in favor of leadership to turn a blind eye to their antics. Why did leadership never ask for results of Azaraksh (3), Saeghe (6), and Kowsar (5) projects? Why Yasin failed (0), Why before that Tazarve (2) failed? why only handful F-14AM (2) were converted, why Dowran F-4 conversion could not be completed (36)? What happened to national heli ? what happened to Shahed-285 ? Khamenei won't ask because if he does, the corrupt power groups (in Artesh, IRGC, Majles etc) will get back at him. Its like a silent understanding that let me sit on top and I will allow you to be incompetent and corrupt.
As i suggested in the past, despite the institutional and corruption issues present, the best course of action would be to use the proverbial broom and sweep aside as much of the rot as they can, and just put in charge of the manned aviation sector whoever was behind the very comendable advances and achievements made in SAMs, BMs or drones and tell him "right, do as you did in your previous job and get the maximum possible result with these x resources" (i know it's more complicated due to internal competition/rivalries between the various institutions and power groups). Forget about new airframes for now beyond perhaps Yasin and perhaps a limited number of Kowsars, just upgrading with modern electronics, weapons and making fully combat ready the existing airframes would be a great start.
Half the problems will be solved the day a younger more energetic and less political minded Supreme leader will sit on the IRI's throne and hopefully drains the swamp. make no mistake, Iranian political system is corrupt to the core despite looking like "idealogical" from outside. Khamenei has been disastrous for Iranian deterrence in last 10 years through his dove like approaches towards enemies of Iran in name of non-existent Islamic unity and lack of balls to pursue nuclear weaponization. His policies resulted in Iran getting sanctioned, losing 50 Billion USD and lives for causes that meant nothing for Iran.
Incidentaly, when DDD made the video about a potential iranian 6th gen i was immediately sceptic of that possibility, but thinking of it, while airframe and engine technology is not available, Iran did prove it has developed the technology for AESA radars, active missile seekers as well as modern electronics, rocket motors, subsystems and airframe missile designs, all this available to being leveraged in creating competent airborne AESAs (MSAs like Bayyenat being increasingly obslete now), electronics and AAMs. So the capability is there, if only someone would leverage it properly!
The Iranian problem is not the tech, its actually the vicious cycle of political appointments of incompetent officers who produce ZERO results, so leadership cuts the budgets. I listed 2010s demonstrated capabilities of domestic production on the last page. Like I said before, any good leadership would have forced the IRIAF+IAIO to get 200 local F-20/FCK-1 equivalents as stopgap along with local LIFT/ATs while same time they would have been pursuing 5th gen tech from abroad either through TOTs or CKDs but these people have no vision.
