Iranian Air Force (IRIAF/IRGC-ASF) | News and Discussions

[Mr Iran Eye]

The Kowsar already has a low radar signature with a special paint, this has already been said with sources. We have known for some years that Iran is working on an advanced anti-radiation material.

And it is also clear that the belly of the Kowsar will carry one or some drones. Artificial intelligence in Iran is developing in an astonishing and high-tech way. Iran is the first country in the world to have made a group attack with the help of artificial intelligence, it was in Syria.

I look at photos and several drones built have not yet been seen in combat. Iran has a lot of surprise reserve in the bank

 

[Piet]

I am not believing it until I see it but apparently, the next gen Kowsar has a RAM coat atleast. F-5 family of fighters are known for their inherently low RCS, F-5E/F has seen battles but never was downed at BVR ranges while being shot at multiple times. F/A-18EF is recorded by USN to have ~1m^2 RCS. A RAM coated Kowsar will be low observable for sure but not by a huge margin, for that, they need to have aerodynamics changed.

IRIAF needs $$$, we have the infrastructure and tech at home, Mullahs need to focus on IRIAF.

Good stuff

My take:-

The top and bottom arrays. Looks to be a ...'Planar Slotted Waveguide Array Antenna for X-band Radar Applications'... .

https://d3i71xaburhd42.cloudfront.net/0b9bc062452013c15585deafae111dc94511d236/5-Figure9-1.png

Top and bottom F-5E -Kowsar (-1?), the dark model. Looks to be like a standard F-5E but a single seat Kowsar. Looked like a single-engine initially. But does not appear to be so at closer inspection. The nose of this aircraft appear to have the same 'shark' nose as its predecessors.

Wanted to ask. The Birjand AB being rebuilt, and will be equipped with ... and Kowsar-I.

Will these Kowsar's be one (-1) or two (-2) seaters.

As far as RAM goes. My interpretation of this image is that the 'squarish' piece right next to the 'white half-fuselage', could be part of an intake, and the 'rounded' one, next up, that of a blended wing root.

Turning to the 'white half-fuselage' now. Definitely not Kowsar-F-5 based. Could resemble any one of half a dozen current Gen 4 - 4+ types. There is a slight protrusion at the bottom just about in line with the back of the canopy, that could signal an internally mounted cannon.

Those pics & images lining the wall to the back of the officer. Would *really* have enjoyed a closer look at them.

As for the $$$. All that I can say is 'oh brother'. The infrastructure and tech at home ... from my viewpoint, agreed.

Regards

Piet

 

[Mr Iran Eye]

Good stuff

My take:-

The top and bottom arrays. Looks to be a ...'Planar Slotted Waveguide Array Antenna for X-band Radar Applications'... .

https://d3i71xaburhd42.cloudfront.net/0b9bc062452013c15585deafae111dc94511d236/5-Figure9-1.png

Top and bottom F-5E -Kowsar (-1?), the dark model. Looks to be like a standard F-5E but a single seat Kowsar. Looked like a single-engine initially. But does not appear to be so at closer inspection. The nose of this aircraft appear to have the same 'shark' nose as its predecessors.

Wanted to ask. The Birjand AB being rebuilt, and will be equipped with ... and Kowsar-I.

Will these Kowsar's be one (-1) or two (-2) seaters.

As far as RAM goes. My interpretation of this image is that the 'squarish' piece right next to the 'white half-fuselage', could be part of an intake, and the 'rounded' one, next up, that of a blended wing root.

Turning to the 'white half-fuselage' now. Definitely not Kowsar-F-5 based. Could resemble any one of half a dozen current Gen 4 - 4+ types. There is a slight protrusion at the bottom just about in line with the back of the canopy, that could signal an internally mounted cannon.

Those pics & images lining the wall to the back of the officer. Would *really* have enjoyed a closer look at them.

As for the $$$. All that I can say is 'oh brother'. The infrastructure and tech at home ... from my viewpoint, agreed.

Regards

Piet

Hello Piet, do you remember the photos of the 3rd channel of Kowsar a little modified. I am missing a photo, do you have it in your boxes?

 

[Piet]

Hello Piet, do you remember the photos of the 3rd channel of Kowsar a little modified. I am missing a photo, do you have it in your boxes?

I surely will look.

The 3rd channel of Kowsar a little modified.

Is it possible to give me just a little more info and I can get cracking.

Piet

 

[Mr Iran Eye]

I surely will look.

The 3rd channel of Kowsar a little modified.

Is it possible to give me just a little more info and I can get cracking.

Piet

Here are 2 of the pictures from the assembly line, but the other picture where you can see the Kowsar with its paint job. I don't have it. Even these Kowsars have slightly modified wing outlets.

 

[Mr Iran Eye]

I surely will look.

The 3rd channel of Kowsar a little modified.

Is it possible to give me just a little more info and I can get cracking.

Piet

I see that it is the same assembly line but with more advanced construction and more colorful images. So, I have seen 2 assembly lines so far. There is surely an assembly line to renew so 9x9x9 = 27. There is a good probability of having 27 Kowsars in new condition. We do not count the number of upgrades of the old existing f-5s. That is why I say that the budget of the IRIAF is much higher than what people say here.

We must also count on the manufacture of new weapons for these Kowsars. A lot of work is done in the background

 

[Piet]

Here are 2 of the pictures from the assembly line, but the other picture where you can see the Kowsar with its paint job. I don't have it. Even these Kowsars have slightly modified wing outlets.
View attachment 66819View attachment 66820

I am thinking that I might just know of the image. It was in a video showing some higher-up and his entourage enter a Simorgh from the rear ramp. It is still in its primer.

At some point the camera pans across to the other side of the hall where there is an painted Kowsar (-2). Perhaps also with some of those tapes around it (like in a bank sometimes) to keep people from touching it.

The reference to an advanced Kowsar I could only have picked up from the on-screen English sub-scripts.

Piet

 

[Mr Iran Eye]

I am thinking that I might just know of the image. It was in a video showing some higher-up and his entourage enter a Simorgh from the rear ramp. It is still in its primer.

At some point the camera pans across to the other side of the hall where there is an painted Kowsar (-2). Perhaps also with some of those tapes around it (like in a bank sometimes) to keep people from touching it.

The reference to an advanced Kowsar I could only have picked up from the on-screen English sub-scripts.

Piet

I feel like I had the image but it was removed. It was interesting to see this Kowsar with the camera in front of him up high

 

[Piet]

I feel like I had the image but it was removed. It was interesting to see this Kowsar with the camera in front of him up high

Hmm.

Perhaps like so, also:-




Piet

 

[Mr Iran Eye]

Hmm.

Perhaps like so, also:-

View attachment 66966


Piet

Yes, that's almost it, there was a photo where we saw this kowsar more globally from this angle but it's good, thank you

 

[Piet]

Yes, that's almost it, there was a photo where we saw this kowsar more globally from this angle but it's good, thank you

Greetings

Got another one.

Bit more of an angle.

View attachment 67054

Darn ---sorry. Try this one:

https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/attachments/capture2-jpg.706865/

Hope it helps.

Piet

 

[Emirzad]

Good stuff

My take:-

The top and bottom arrays. Looks to be a ...'Planar Slotted Waveguide Array Antenna for X-band Radar Applications'... .

https://d3i71xaburhd42.cloudfront.net/0b9bc062452013c15585deafae111dc94511d236/5-Figure9-1.png

I am not sure if this is a functional antenna or a scaled model but if it is then it's the same old Bayenaat-II (Grifo 346).

Top and bottom F-5E -Kowsar (-1?), the dark model. Looks to be like a standard F-5E but a single seat Kowsar. Looked like a single-engine initially. But does not appear to be so at closer inspection. The nose of this aircraft appear to have the same 'shark' nose as its predecessors.

There is no single engine Kowsar, they are all powered by 2 x OWJ turbojets.

Nose of the Kowsar is a feet longer (or less??) than an F-5E to house the avionics/radar, this is confirmed by pictures of radom, reports by BT, an official report on Saeghe program. Considering how close this program is to Israeli Kfir, this is again a similarity.

Wanted to ask. The Birjand AB being rebuilt, and will be equipped with ... and Kowsar-I. Will these Kowsar's be one (-1) or two (-2) seaters.

My realistic opinion they will be rebuilt/upgraded F-5E/F to "Kowsar Standard" considering there will be no aerial threat from Afghanistan. Their job will be CAP with MALE drones on border and infiltrate/PGM strike if need be.

As far as RAM goes. My interpretation of this image is that the 'squarish' piece right next to the 'white half-fuselage', could be part of an intake, and the 'rounded' one, next up, that of a blended wing root.

Seems like J-10/F-16 like air-intake but considering this is a University consortium, I would not read too much in models being tested, academic research is supposed to be utopian so such study models will be seen like those that we saw in wind tunnels years back but nothing came out of them because they were student projects, I am sure those students are now out of Iran.

Turning to the 'white half-fuselage' now. Definitely not Kowsar-F-5 based. Could resemble any one of half a dozen current Gen 4 - 4+ types. There is a slight protrusion at the bottom just about in line with the back of the canopy, that could signal an internally mounted cannon.

The cannon configuration seems like that of F-14 yes.

Those pics & images lining the wall to the back of the officer. Would *really* have enjoyed a closer look at them.

The stupid journalist wasted time asking layman questions because he had no interest or knowledge of what was going on there, IRI's defense media is a mess.

The officer said the RCS is dropped by 50% by use of composites/RAM so if we assume that F-5E/F's RCS is somewhere like 3 m2 then now its 1.5 m2 in Kowsar-II or whatever they are going on to name this new bastard of F-5 family. With AESA antenna, HOTAS/HMD, Turbofan the plane can very well be the lightest 4+ gen fighter in the world.

As for the $$$. All that I can say is 'oh brother'. The infrastructure and tech at home ... from my viewpoint, agreed.

Regards

Piet

with correct $$$ and management, Iran can have a proper IRIAF at home just like IADS or missile forces etc but mullahs do not care.

 

[Emirzad]

Hmm.

Perhaps like so, also:-

View attachment 66966


Piet

This is a halted/dysfunctional assembly line because there is no tool/equipment around planes. Just few officials acting as they are "working". Well the same airframes have been on there places in this assembly line since 2020 when we first saw it.

This is a real fighter jet assembly line for comparision.

A fully functional/armed Kowsar built from scratch costs around 17 mln USD, 10 Million USD for just a flying airframe, weapons and depot repository parts costs above that. This is quite normal for a light electronically advanced fighter in its category. If they get HMD, HOTAS, AESA, RAM coats etc., then cost will be increased to 20+ mln USD. How many can IRIAF order on a budget of 200-400 Mln USD a year? There is a reason only 5 are flying as FMC prototypes like 6 Saeghe-I/II.

My theory is that the program is bundled up already based upon $$$. I will not be surprised if they pull a "Saeghe" like stunt on this program and induct some 10-12 prop planes calling it "mass production" and pretend the plane is "inducted".

The plane on the rightmost is a rebuilt "Azarakhsh" (green fighter) airframe, with no difference from a standard Kowsar. Three azaraksh were built by Chinese CAC + Iranian IAIO in late 90s with J-7E like avionics, IRIAF did not like the conversion because they hated Chinese systems also a dodgy character at top of IAIO by name of "H. Parvaneh" was fooling the leadership and IRIAF about its capabilities such as changing the wing position on air-intakes, so the program was bundled up in a rush. All or 2 out of 3 out of commission airframes are waiting to be rebuilt to Kowsar standard. Good move IMO. They should just keep 2 Saeghe out of 6 for museum and any twin V tail FBW testing, rest 4 along with 3 Azaraksh should be rebuilt extensively to Kowsar standard.

Iran currently owns some ~90 airframes of F-5E/F (65 F-5E/F, 6 Saegheh I/II, 12 F-5A Simorgh, 3 Azaraksh, Few RF-5, few damaged ones or the ones they purchased from Veitnam and other places). If kowsar program was a serious one, they could have dismantled every plane for large repository of parts for a highly resilient Kowsar fleet.