Iran upgrades US-built fighters

Iran has overhauled and modernized its warplanes, including the "sophisticated" F-14 Tomcat fighter jets, an Iranian military official said on Tuesday.

Link

can anyone collaborate and confirm this? how are they going to upgrade the F-14 when all spare parts sales have been suspended? opinions anyone?

reply to post by toreishi


The Tomcat has been around for decades. It has been sold to many countries. I'm sure some Arms dealer out there has some parts.


As far as the sophisticated F-14. I'll miss. But I'm sure an F-22 wont

I remember hearing ages ago that the US was destroying (and even buying up?) landing gear components for the F-14 specifically to stop Iran getting the spares they needed - most of their F-14's were supposed to be unserviceable for the lack of parts.

Maybe they are able to reverse engineer the parts they need?

At the time, 1970s, the F-14 was the most advanced fighter in the world. Because of this, the U.S. did NOT sell this aircraft to foreign nations, EXCEPT Iran, who was ruled by the Shah.

The Iranians have been able to "self-upgrade" many avionics systems, just because these systems improved so greatly over the next three decades. However, they have had to cannibalize parts from some aircraft in order to keep the primary fleet flying. As the years have passed, the number of operational aircraft ready for action has gradually diminished. To date, their upgrades have not nearly kept up with the aircraft development from the Soviets/Russians, NATO, and even from nations like Brazil.

The Iranian F-14s are a potent weapon system, but not compared to the NATO/American/Israeli air forces. The U.S. Navy, who were the only branch to fly F-14 squadrons, retired them because they were difficult to maintain, and were surpassed by the F/A 18 Hornets, and especially the F/A-18 Super Hornets.
,
Our F-16s and F-15Cs are significantly superior to ANY F-14s, and not even in the same ballpark with the F-22s for the air superiority mission.

wouldn't they be able to buy off the shelf components from China and assemble them as analogues to the original parts that they need? and perhaps by now they'd have been able to reverse-engineer the AWG-9 radar, but do they have anything comparable to the AIM-54?

reply to post by Truth1000


You are absolutely right. STAR for you!!!!
For some reason I was seeing F-14 in my head but Thinking F-16

I stand corrected.


ETA
See what happens when somebody has had a few too many.


[edit on 23-4-2010 by SLAYER69]

Kine problem, mein freund.

Sind Sie Deutch? Ich habe seit drei Jarhen in Deutchland gewohnt.

They are going to need them........

reply to post by Truth1000



Problem? Not unless I can't keep US fighters straight

I've been there a few times and my Grandfather on my mothers side was. My German is horrible.



[edit on 22-4-2010 by SLAYER69]

I meant no problem, to your prior post.

Did you intend the pun on "strait," as in Strait of Hormuz?

reply to post by Truth1000


Schade bin ich betrunken.
Entschuldigen Sie meine Rechtschreibung.

Freund.

You make it sound like omgg their using our latest est advance tech... i

Way to mislead

They were upgraded with the approval of the US by US companies. I read about it in International Airpower Review. I cannot remember which issue though.

Slayer,

We'll just find us a good gasthaus and share a few pilsners and trade a few stories, and the world would be good.

My favorite was Ochsner Pils, from Ochsenfurt, on the Main.

reply to post by The Alamo Ripper


huh?

the F-14 is 70's era technology, who's saying that its the latest? and as far as i can tell no one is trying to mislead anyone in this thread (er, not yet)...

reply to post by toreishi


No actually it was the culmination of 60s Tech, First assembled and flown in the 70s

Coffee Helps

Source

The F-14 first flew on 21 December 1970, just 22 months after Grumman was awarded the contract, and reached Initial Operational Capability (IOC) in 1973

Edit to add. Think of it this way in Dec of 1970 that was the best we had up to that point. All the major design and engineering specs again were the culmination from the preceding years.



[edit on 22-4-2010 by SLAYER69]

The more advanced F-14 upgrades were performed only to U.S. Navy squadrons. While generic avionics and weapons systems from other countries could be integrated into their aircraft, the Iranian's aircraft will still carry the same limitations that cause us to moth-ball the U.S. Navy fleet. And that decision to take down our F-14s was made in spite of repeated levels of upgrades that would still be superior to whatever attempts the Iranians could make to keep up.

reply to post by Truth1000



Very accurate

Gute Nacht mein neuer guter Freund

Auf weidersehen. Gute schlaft!

Auf weidersehen. Gute schlaft!