#iriaf

[nocternalrandomness]

Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force F-4 Phantoms in a wedge formation

[chrisrobe96]

Grumman F-14A-GR-90 Tomcat BuNo 160299, the very first Tomcat built for the Imperial Iranian Air Force (IIAF) takes to the skies for the first time on December 5th 1975.

The aircraft would arrive in Iran shortly later on January 27th 1976 and would enter service as 3-6001. Despite a chaotic revolution and a devastating conflict, 44 years later this aircraft is still flying with the IRIAF today.

[nothinglikethetasteofiron]

IRIAF | F-14A

[worldofaviation]

Iranian Air Force F-14 Tomcat

[chrisrobe96]

IRIAF F-14As seen carrying the multi-mission weapon load which comprises of 4x Aim-54A Phoenix, 2x Aim-7E-4s and 2x Aim-9Ps.

This weapon load was commonly seen early in the Iran-Iraq war but this would change later on by removing two of the Aim-54As as combat experience taught the Iranians that four of the Phoenix missiles would hamper the F-14s manoeuvring characteristics should it get involved in a dogfight due to their size and weight, also it was found that only one missile fired at a Iraqi formation would send the rest of the aircraft fleeing in fear, meaning two was more than enough. Also there was the issue of only 224 Phoenix missiles were available in Iran after the US stopped deliveries.

There is nothing like a F-14 carrying a large load of Phoenix missiles, what a look!

[chrisrobe96]

Grumman F-14A Tomcat 3-6079 on final approach carrying it’s a original armament of Aim-9s, Aim-7s and Aim-54s.

3-6079 was the last tomcat to be delivered, arriving just before the revolution in Iran and as a result never flew with the IIAF and was immediately put into storage. The aircraft was re-activated in November 1980 following the outbreak of war with Iraq and would end the conflict as the most successful Tomcat, earning over 10 kills against Iraqi aircraft and survived the war, remaining in service to this day

[chrisrobe96]

Iranian ground crew prepare a pair of “Yasser” air to surface missiles before being fitted to a Grumman F-14A Tomcat sometime during the Iran-Iraq war.

Another unusual product of the IRIAF’s effort to be self-reliant, the “Yasser” air to surface missile was the result for a need to create a domestic presision guided weapon for Iran’s fast jet fleet as weapons like the AGM-65A Maverick were now in short supply due to the drawn out war with Iraq grinding down their stocks.

The “Yasser” was the result of a M117 unguided Iron bomb, taking the fins off the back and attaching the rear half, tail fins and rocket motor of a MiM-23 surface to air missile and fitted with some sort of guidance system that would work with the radar systems of the fast jets in the IRIAF’s inventory. It seems this improvised weapon remains in service today although to what extent remains unknown, similar to the MiM-23s.

[chrisrobe96]

Iranian F-14A Tomcat 3-6020 seen outside one of the hardened aircraft hangers at Khatami Air Base in 1986.

What makes this photograph particularly interesting is the two MK 83 Bombs mounted under the forward Phoenix pallets, showing the the Iranians were actually experimenting with the concept of the “Bombcat” at the same time the US were doing the same with their F-14A+ Cats. The Iranians however would not make this a standard weapon load for their Tomcats as they were very aware of their precious value, only using them on special and important bombing missions, leaving the regular strike roles to their F-4E/D Phantoms and F-5E/F Tigers.