Persian Gulf & Middle East Military News, Reports, Data, etc.

Jeff Head

General
Registered Member
I am going to remove all reference to Netanyahu's speech to the US Congress (which I believe was a very strong speech no matter what side you take)...on both sides.

If we open that door, there will be very heated political discussions which SD is not about.

Believe me, I have my own very strong feelings about this...but it is not what SD is about.

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FORBIN

Lieutenant General
Registered Member
Analysis - Iranian fighter programmes: Bona fide or bluff?

Over recent years, Iran has made great play of its burgeoning domestic aerospace capabilities by revealing a number of 'new' combat aircraft types to the world.
For about the last five years, state media has heralded a steady stream of new fighters and other types which, it claims, demonstrate the Islamic republic's ability to design, develop, and manufacture the latest generation of combat aviation.

However, while the Iranian aerospace sector has had undoubted success in reverse engineering Western technologies in the development of such platforms (most likely with Russian and Chinese assistance), the end results all too often appear to fall short of the lofty claims made for them by the country's military and political leaders.
Where new platforms are promised, pale imitations of already fielded Western types are produced; and when an altogether new type is actually revealed, its design limitations are all too apparent. All of this leads to questions as to just how real this self-proclaimed Iranian aerospace expertise actually is, and whether it is more bluff and bluster than bona fide capability.

Since 2009 Iran has rolled out five 'new' fighter types in the Simorgh (Phoenix), Azarakhsh (Lightning), Saeghe (Thunderbolt), Saeghe-2 (Thunderbolt-2), and Qaher (Conqueror/Omnipotent) F-313 'stealth fighter'.
In spite of the initial regime hype of these being wholly indigenously developed platforms, with the exception of the F-313 these are all remodelled variants of the US-made Northrop F-5 Tiger II, which was supplied to the Imperial Iranian Air Force (IIAF) prior to the Islamic Revolution in 1979.

The Shah of Iran was supplied with close to 200 single-seat F-5E and twin-seat F-5F fighters during the 1970s (US-supplied fighter types during this period comprised 79 Grumman F-14A Tomcats; 177 McDonnell Douglas F-4E, 32 F-4D and 16 RF-4E Phantom IIs; and 141 F-5E and 28 F-5F Tiger IIs).

With fighter numbers being diminished through attrition during the Iran-Iraq War and from accidents (only about 150 of these US-supplied aircraft remain in the inventory, of which about 50 are F-5s), Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industries (IAMI) was required to convert 13 of its single-seat F-5Es into twin-seat F-5F operational trainers under the Simorgh programme. While this work is understood to have required the remodelling of the entire front cockpit section without any assistance from the original equipment manufacturer (OEM), it still amounted to little more than a reworked version of an already existing aircraft.
Aside from the large numbers in which they were bought by the Shah of Iran, the F-5 is a very capable yet relatively simple jet fighter. Hence, of all the types in the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force's (IRIAF) inventory (as well as the US-supplied aircraft, Iran also fields Chinese and interred Iraqi fighters) it is the F-5 that has been consistently singled out for remodelling and improvement.

Following on from the Simorgh programme, Iran revealed the Hevapeimasazi (Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industries Company: HESA) Azarakhsh. Billed as Iran's first domestically manufactured combat jet, the Azarakhsh is again a modified variant of the F-5.
However, while the Simorgh involved a straight conversion from a single-seat to a twin-seat configuration, the Azarakhsh was reported to include a number of unspecified Iranian-developed improvements, as well as Russian and perhaps even Chinese systems being incorporated. To the best of the West's knowledge, the Azarakhsh has not entered service with the IRIAF, and is believed to have been a risk-reduction exercise for the follow-on Saeghe.

First revealed in 2007, the Saeghe is essentially an F-5E that has been modified by HESA. The aircraft's most obvious modification is the twin-fin configuration that is similar to that of the Boeing F/A-18 Hornet. Indeed, Iranian officials have previously said that the Saeghe's performance is comparable to the Hornet's, although such claims cannot be independently verified.

While it is not known to what extent the aircraft's engines or avionics have been modified, IHS Jane's understands that Russia has supplied many internal systems, and some Grumman F-14A Tomcat and MiG-29 'Fulcrum' components may also have been adapted for the jet. It is not clear how many of the IRIAF's F-5Es will undergo the Saeghe conversion, but Iranian media has previously reported that 24 such aircraft are planned. The first operational unit was stood up in 2010.

In February 2015, Iran unveiled the 'second generation' of the Saeghe, dubbed the Saeghe-2. While the original Saeghe was based on the single-seat F-5E, the Saeghe-2 is modelled on the twin-seat F-5F operational trainer. On the surface, the twin-seat variant bears the same twin-tail modification as the Saeghe, although it is not possible to ascertain what (if any) internal improvements may have been made. The IRIAF is believed to have 17 F-5F aircraft remaining in its inventory, which may be suitable for conversion to the Saeghe-2 configuration. According to state media, this twin-seat version will be used as a light fighter and ground attack platform.

Aside from the F-5-type models that have been rolled out over recent years, Iran has revealed one type in the Qaher (Conqueror/Omnipotent) F-313 'stealth fighter' which it claims to be a newly designed and developed domestic combat aircraft.
First rolled out in early 2013, the F-313 was immediately met with almost universal derision from the international press, with design features that showed the aircraft to be fundamentally flawed. The mock-up that was shown on 2 February 2013 displayed features that suggested no fly-by-wire control of the aircraft, poorly positioned air inlets, and an almost comically small cockpit (complete with a Perspex canopy).
In this regard, the F-313 is something of an anomaly in the pantheon of recently revealed Iranian fighter projects. While the Simorgh, the Azarakhsh, the Saeghe, and the Saeghe-2 are all somewhat limited in their scope in that they are derivatives of an already fielded fighter type, they do appear at least to be fully functional combat aircraft, whereas the F-313's obviously flawed design attributes all point to it being showcased to a domestic audience for propaganda purposes rather than as a serious attempt at building a combat aircraft.

While Iran's aerospace sector has had undoubted success over recent years in reverse engineering Western technologies (as showcased by the F-5-derviatives), its seeming preoccupation with scoring propaganda victories in the unveiling of 'new' aircraft types that are not really anything of the sort does much to overshadow and undermine its impressive efforts in sustaining a 40-year old fighter force in the face of international sanctions with no OEM support whatsoever.

Although some of its efforts, such as the F-313, fall well short of the mark, others, like the Simorgh, Saeghe, and Saeghe-2, will no doubt prove to be altogether more successful. As such, it would seem that Iran's recent fighter pronouncements have been, and will continue to be, based on a combination of real-world capabilities spliced with a hefty dose of bluff for domestic and international consumption.

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If the Saudis really want to fight IS on the ground they should spearhead it themselves together with their local allies, the IS is just across the border.

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Saudi top diplomat urges allies to face ISIS militants 'on the ground'
PUBLISHED ON MAR 6, 2015 12:18 AM

RIYADH (AFP) - Saudi Arabia's foreign minister on Thursday urged the US-led coalition conducting air strikes against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria group (ISIS) to wage a ground war against the militants.

The kingdom, part of that coalition, "stresses the need to provide the military means needed to face this challenge on the ground," Prince Saud al-Faisal said at a news conference with US Secretary of State John Kerry.

Several Arab countries have joined the air campaign against ISIS.

President Barack Obama, anxious to avoid a drawn-out ground war, has backed an air campaign, but ruled out deploying infantry.

The Saudi minister also warned of Iran's growing role in Iraq, accusing the Shi'ite-dominated Islamic republic of "taking over" the kingdom's Arab neighbour through its aid in the fight against ISIS.

"Tikrit is a prime example of what we are worried about. Iran is taking over the country," Faisal said of the late Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein's hometown.

The US military's top officer, General Martin Dempsey, said Tuesday that Iran's help in an Iraqi offensive to recapture Tikrit could be "a positive thing" providing it did not fuel added sectarianism.

On Thursday the United Nations said military operations aimed at retaking Tikrit from ISIS have caused about 28,000 people to flee their homes.

"We have urged all Iraqi forces to avoid and prevent the abuse to civilians of any kind of activity that violates international norms, fuels sectarian fears, and promotes sectarian divides, and that includes Iran in terms of their activities," Kerry said.

About 30,000 Iraqi security force members and allied fighters launched an operation to retake Tikrit on Monday.

Sunni-dominated Saudi Arabia is wary of the ambitions of its arch rival Iran across the Gulf.
 

ShahryarHedayat

Junior Member
In an extensive and successful mission,
Iran's intel. Ministry special forces (VEVAK)
released the abducted Iranian diplomat in Yemen



The outstanding performance prompted various Iranian politicians and figures to congratulate the intelligence minister on this mission


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Nour Ahmad Nikbakht's plane landed in Tehran's Mehrabad Airport on Thursday. He was greeted by Iranian officials and his tearful relatives and family members.

Nikbakht was kidnapped on July 21, 2013, on his way to work from his home in the diplomatic quarter of Sana’a, when unidentified gunmen blocked the road, forced him out of his vehicle and abducted him.

Special efforts for Nikbakht's release

Following his arrival in Tehran, Nikbakht met Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, where the recently released diplomat thanked the Islamic Republic officials for their efforts to secure his safe release.

“I was kidnapped by armed terrorists on my way to the embassy from home. I was then held hostage," he said, adding, "“The officials at Foreign Ministry and Intelligence Ministry and other related organizations made great efforts [for my release]. I express my sincere gratitude to all of them.”

Amir-Abodllahian, for his part, said Iran had set up a "special committee involving all the relevant parties" to work toward Nikbakht's freedom. "The efforts led to a special taskforce established by the Islamic Republic’s Intelligence Ministry."

"Through a series of complex and arduous operations inside a restive region of Yemen Mr. Nikhbakht was freed from the clutches of the terrorists," Amir-Abdollahian added.


No terrorist demands met

Iranian Intelligence Minister Mahmoud Alavi told reporters at a press conference later in the day that Nikbakht’s release was secured without Iran meeting any of the preconditions set by the terrorists.

Alavi said Nikbakht’s freedom comes as “terrorist groups have taken people from various countries hostage, beheaded them, burned them alive and released the footage on the Internet while their respective countries have been unsuccessful in liberating the hostages from the grips [of the terrorists].”

Alavi added that hostage takers must know that the Islamic Republic will never give in to any demands of ransom seekers, adding that the Intelligence Ministry would safeguard the interests of the country and not allow its reputation to be tarnished.

Iran shows intelligence might

In an interview with Press TV, Foad Izadi , a Tehran-based political analyst from the University of Tehran, also hailed the release of the abducted diplomat, saying the move indicates the prowess of the country’s Intelligence Ministry.

He added that the successful operation could not have happened overnight and the release of the Iranian diplomat was the result of a months-long endeavor.

“This shows that Iranian organizations and government agencies are capable of conducting operations and engaging in activities that can actually result in positive outcomes," adding that such capabilities are "basically the tools of conducting business internationally.“

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delft

Brigadier
My Dutch newspaper (
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. ) has today a news item that the military commander of Jabhat al-Nusra, Abu Humam al-Shami, as well as three other senior leaders were killed yesterday by an air attacked by the Syrian air force.
I read earlier ( in WaPo? ) that he was killed in an American air attack.

The article also mentions that al-Nusra has lost terrain to IS and that there are talks with a.o. Qatar about this terrorist outfit breaking its ties with Al-Qaeda and so earn financial support in order to improve its battle field performance.
 
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Jeff Head

General
Registered Member
My Dutch newspaper (
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. ) has today a news item that the military commander of Jabhat al-Nusra, Abu Humam al-Shami, as well as three other senior leaders were killed yesterday by an air attacked by the Syrian air force.
I read earlier ( in WaPo? ) that he was killed in an American air attack.

The article also mentions that al-Nusra has lost terrain to IS and that there are talks with a.o. Qatar about this terrorist outfit breaking its ties with Al-Qaeda and so earn financial support in order to improve its battle field performance.

Delft...you know better.

Link to the articles and provide English translation (if not available).

We do not want to go down a road where more and more people post hearsay or what they "thought," something said.

Thanks.
 

ShahryarHedayat

Junior Member
What's the deal with all these statements by politicians, analysts and journalists lately about a new Iranian empire being formed in the region?

Luitenant colonel Ralph Peters (ret.) this month:

Iran is piling one brick on the other. As I’ve warned on Fox News and Charles Krauthammer described — eloquently — in The Washington Post, today’s Iranians, with their Persian heritage, are on the march as surely as were the armies of Xerxes 2,500 years ago. Desperate for a legacy, our president obsesses about a deal (no matter how wretched) on Iran’s nuclear program, while ignoring Iran’s aggression across the Middle East. In his recent State of the Union message, the president even defended Iran against Congress and further sanctions.

Pulitzer Prize-winner Charles Krauthammer in the Washington Post:

Iran’s emerging empire

While Iran’s march toward a nuclear bomb has provoked a major clash between the White House and Congress, Iran’s march toward conventional domination of the Arab world has been largely overlooked. In Washington, that is. The Arabs have noticed. And the pro-
American ones, the Gulf Arabs in particular, are deeply worried.


Netanyahu three days ago:

"I promise you Gadi … you will not have a single day of grace. The Middle East is disintegrating. States are collapsing. An empire is charging into this vacuum – Iran.


Former mayor of New York Giuliani yesterday:


Iraq, Syria and Yemen could become part of a "new Iranian empire" if the U.S.-led coalition is successful in defeating the Islamic State (ISIS), former New York City Republican Mayor Rudy Giuliani told Fox News' "America's Newsroom."

"If you allow Iran to help you defeat ISIS, which we seem to be doing ... one [enemy] gone, and (allow) a new Iranian empire, which is what the Iranians are trying to do and have been trying to do from the beginning — nobody's looking at that, and they should," Giuliani said Tuesday.

Pat Buchanan reacted too, but dismissed the alarmism.

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So are they right? Is Iran taking advantage of the turmoil in the region by forming its own 'empire', or are the calls nothing more than alarmism?
 

ShahryarHedayat

Junior Member
My Dutch newspaper (
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. ) has today a news item that the military commander of Jabhat al-Nusra, Abu Humam al-Shami, as well as three other senior leaders were killed yesterday by an air attacked by the Syrian air force.
I read earlier ( in WaPo? ) that he was killed in an American air attack.
The article also mentions that al-Nusra has lost terrain to IS and that there are talks with a.o. Qatar about this terrorist outfit breaking its ties with Al-Qaeda and so earn financial support in order to improve its battle field performance.

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