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Iran converted a handful of Iranian F-5E and Azarakhsh
(Lightning) fighters to become Saeghes (Thunderbolts) between 2001
and 2015. They are now in operational service with the IRIAF at the
2nd Tactical Fighter Base (TFB 2) in Tabriz.While IRIAF and
Iranian
defence ministry officials have always claimed the Saeghe is the
result of entirely indigenous manufacture, the truth behind the
story is very different.
BackgroundIn the early 1990s the Owj Industrial Complex was
working on the Azarakhsh programme and SR.II. The former referred
to F-5Es that were restored or had their airframes manufactured by
Owj, while the SR.II
IransStorm Wa rning
Main image: Saeghe 3-7368 lifts off from Tactical Air Base (TAB)
2 at Tabriz on April 6. All six aircraft of the 23rd Tacti-cal
Fighter Squadron (TFS) now wear a modifi ed Asia Minor II camoufl
age. The aircraft were painted prior to fl ying a fi ve-ship
formation at Irans Military Day parade on April 18. Bagher
ZarifAbove: The fi fth production Saeghe, 3-7370, taxies towards
the main runway at Shahin Shar Airport during its handover
ceremony. The aircraft delivered to the 23rd TFS is still wearing
this blue and yellow paint scheme. Amir Naderi
AIRCRAFT PROFILE IRIAF Saeghe (Thunderbolt)
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was a Sino-Iranian design intended to modernise the F-5E. At the
same time, Owj began studies for an F-5E aerodynamic upgrade
programme. Meanwhile two of Irans most
accomplished aerospace engineers, including Yaghoub Entesari,
were working on the Ya-Hossein project to produce an advanced jet
trainer. The pair then began research studies for the F-5E
aerodynamic upgrade consisting of changes to the flying surfaces of
the single-seat version: the most significant was the introduction
of a twin vertical stabiliser. Experts and engineers from
the IRIAFs Sattari Air University helped Owj to design a new
flight control system for the programme in a scheme later named
Saeghe-80 the research
and development phase for which had begun by the mid-1990s.The
project made only slow
progress in the 1990s. Based on original plans, it was expected
that it would be completed before 2001, but due to poor management
and a lack of basic equipment, such as a wind tunnel, it suffered
delays. A design team of eight young engineers and students were
meanwhile working alongside the two highly experienced aerospace
engineers.Because of the IRIAFs inability
to procure aerospace alloys from outside Iran, the Defence
Industries Organisation was tasked to provide Owj with the required
materials. Additional components were designed and manufactured
with the
help of private contractors.The IRIAFs Deputy of Operations
granted permission for Owj to use an operational F-5E Azarakhsh,
serial 3-7301 (later 3-7366), to assist the design. Beyond the
changes made to the vertical stabiliser, Owj installed squared
engine air intakes in place of the original curved type and
designed a new radome which led to removal of the original pitot
tube. As a consequence of the
aerodynamic changes, it was necessary to remove the wingtip
missile launchers and to increase its g-limits, the aircrafts
weight was reduced as much as possible by removing the AN/APQ-153
fire control system, the arrester hook, one of the two M39 cannon,
the IFF and TACAN.
First flightAfter more than 18 months of modifications, the
Saeghe was prepared for ground tests. It was painted light blue
overall and an Iranian flag was applied on the nose section. A
slogan appeared on the aft section, based on Supreme Leader
Ayatollah Khameneis slogan We Can.With ground tests complete,
the test pilot prepared for a maiden flight after performing at
least ten fast taxies on runway 29L of Mehrabad International
Airport. Finally, once the flight control systems had been properly
calibrated, the first flight was made at TFB 1 Mehrabad on February
7, 2004. A chase plane (Azarakhsh
serial 3-7302) accompanied the
The Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF) is the operator
of a unique version of the Northrop F-5 Tiger II, the Saeghe
(Thunderbolt), externally distinguished by its twin tailfins. Babak
Taghvaee sheds light on the second life of the F-5 in Iranian
service. Storm Wa rning
Only ex-Vietnamese and several battle-damaged F-5Es were
available for the Owj plan
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Saeghe during its 20-minute first flight. Several months later
it had logged around six hours of flight and left Tehran for the
first time during a navigation training sortie. The Saeghe was
flown to TFB 3
Noujeh (Shahrokhi) where it was unveiled for Supreme Leader
Khamenei. After a test flight at TFB 3 the jet was revealed by
state news media in June 2004. By now it had the serial number S
110-001 (Seyyed Ali-001, a reference to the name of the Supreme
Leader).
An inefficient upgradeAfter several months, operational testing
revealed that the changes to S 110-001s nose and air intakes
actually had adverse effects on the manoeuvrability, flight
characteristics and performance.Similar to the SR.II project,
in
2004, Owj was tasked to prepare the second and third Saeghes.
Two F-5Es, serials 3-7302 and 3-7060 (c/n U1048), were allocated to
the programme. Unlike the first, these two jets aerodynamic
surfaces were not altered. They received the new serials S 110-002
and S 110-003, and both took their maiden flights in June
2007.After several months of test
flights they were unveiled to public two days before the Holy
Defence Week parade on September 20, 2007. Two-seat F-5F, serial
3-7174, of the 21st Tactical Fighter Squadron (TFS) served as chase
plane during their test flights that summer. Following the poor
results of the
aerodynamic modifications made to S 110-001, the second and
third Saeghes only received the two vertical stabilisers. All three
aircraft were eventually painted in colours inspired by the US
Navys
Blue Angels flight demonstration squadron before their official
unveiling and participation in the Holy Defence Week parade on
September 22, 2007.The IRIAF had conducted an
exercise named Zarbat-e-Zulfiqar (Strike of the Zulfiqar, after
the sword of Ali, first Imam of the Shiites) in September 2006
during which four F-5Es and two F-5Fs of the 21st TFS performed
dozens of rocket and bombing missions using live and inert weapons.
The first Saeghe, S 110-001, flew four gunnery training sorties in
the exercise and also attacked dummy targets on the Shabestar
gunnery range using 76 2.75-inch (70mm) rockets and four Mk 82
bombs.
One of three Saeghes detached to IMAI airfi eld at Shahin Shahr
in early 2009, 3-7368 was brought up to full mission capability
while conducting training fl ights from the base. All images Babak
Taghvaee unless stated
Above: Brigadier General Barkhor (right), Brigadier Hatami,
acting secretary of the defence ministry (centre), and the designer
of the Saeghe II unveil the aircraft to the public at Mehrabad
International Airport on February 9. Below: The only Saeghe II
produced so far, 3-7182 wears the markings of Tacti-cal Air Base
(TAB) 2 at Tabriz-Shaheed Fakouri on its fi n. The trainer serves
alongside the single-seat Saeghe I of the 23rd TFS at Tabriz.
Without a twin-seat version of the Saeghe, the training of
future pilots will be costly and diffi cult
AIRCRAFT PROFILE IRIAF Saeghe (Thunderbolt)
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Throughout its sorties, the Saeghe was chased by F-5F 3-7167 of
the 21st TFS. It also helped the Saeghe locate Tabriz air base and
the Shabestar gunnery range, since its AN/ARN-84(V) TACAN has still
not been installed.
A new manufacturerUnder the order of the Supreme Leader, Iran
Aircraft Manufacturing Industrial (IAMI) Company (HESA) continued
both the Azarakhsh and Saeghe projects, and all the engineers and
experts from the Saeghe design bureau were assigned to IAMI in
spring 2006. At the time, the IRIAFs test pilot school was still
cooperating with Owj, and S 110-002 and S 110-003 were still under
construction.
In 2003, Owj began work on the third Azarakhsh, the previous two
having been delivered in 1998 and 2001. This was former Vietnam
Peoples Air Force F-5E 73-00873 (c/n R.1054). Owj began the process
of reproducing several structural parts for the aircraft and after
several months and still incomplete it was handed over to IAMI
(HESA) on August 10, 2006. The aircraft was then completed
with the assistance of engineers from Owj. It took its maiden
flight in June 2007 and was unveiled to the public on August 6. The
new serial number of the third Azarakhsh was 3-7364. Aeronautical
engineer Hassan
Parvaneh, a supervisor on the Azarakhsh and then the Saeghe
project at IAMI, produced a fake image of 3-7364 using Adobe
Photoshop software on his own computer. In the rendering, the wings
and intakes were modified, making it appear similar to the F/A-18
Hornet. The doctored photo was then provided to the Fars News
agency and appeared on the internet, where it was described as
depicting an Azarakhsh. Parvanehs intentions are not known, but his
excuse was that he hoped to deceive Western intelligence
services.In September 2007, IAMI sent
3-7364 to Tehran for the Holy Defence Week parade, together with
two SR.IIs, two F-5Fs and three Saeghes. Project Saeghe was handed
over to IAMI in its entirety
Left: Waiting for an F-5F to depart Meh-rabads main taxiway,
Saeghe 3-7370 illustrates the clean wing design, devoid of the
usual wing-tip missile rails. Mounted on the centreline is a drop
tank borrowed from the 21st TFS. Right: With the handover of the fi
fth Saeghe at Shahin Shahr Airport on October 10, 2009 the four
earlier examples completed a fl ypast to celebrate the occasion.
Amir NaderiBelow: Seconds from touching down at Mehrabad
International Airport, Saeghe 3-7371, illustrates the dual
angel-of-at-tack sensors; twin UHF/IFF and TACAN antennas on the
upper fuselage.
in late 2007, in accordance with Khameneis order and in line
with an agreement between the defence ministry and the IRIAF.
Construction of a fourth Saeghe
began in August 2008 and was completed in February 2009.
Aircraft 3-7364 served as the basis for this jet before receiving
the new serial 3-7369. In April 2008 the serial numbers of three
previous Saeghes were changed to 3-7366, 3-7367 and 3-7368
respectively.The fifth and sixth Saeghes
were manufactured in 2009 and 2010 using stripped-down
cannibalised F-5E fuselages supplied by Owj. The fifth, serial
3-7370, was delivered to the IRIAF at a ceremony at Shahin
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Shahr Airport on October 10, 2009. Delivery of the sixth was
delayed, however, due to US sanctions that reduced the availability
of J85-GE-21 engines and spare parts. Finally, after three
years,
the sixth Saeghe, serial 3-7371, was delivered to the IRIAF in
October 2012.
In service with the 23rd TFSBetween January and March 2009, Owj
detached the first three Saeghes to the IAMI airfield at Shahin
Shahr, where two 3-7367 and 3-7368 were brought up to fully mission
capable (FMC) condition and performed training flights at the base.
Meanwhile, the fourth Saeghe, 3-7369, conducted its test flights
there too. In April 2009 all four Saeghes
were sent to Tehran to participate in Irans Military Day parade
on April 18 but, after the event was cancelled due to bad
weather, they were detached two days later to TFB 2 and put in
service by the 21st TFS. Several weeks later the
IRIAFs deputy of operations re-established the 23rd TFS as the
Saeghe operator, the fifth and sixth aircraft joining the squadron
in 2009 and 2012 respectively.With the exception of the first
Saeghe, 3-7366, the fighters were now combat-ready and began
participating in the IRIAFs annual air exercises and gunnery
training.
A reconfigured 3-7366With the inefficiency of the aerodynamic
modifications of the first Saeghe soon realised, they were not
repeated during production of the subsequent examples. In 2011 the
IRIAF headquarters tasked Owj to modify the first one, 3-7366, by
returning it to its original configuration and installing a new
boat tail with the latest standard of twin vertical stabilisers.
TFB 2
sent the aircraft to the Owj facility for its intake and nose
section to be converted to their original shape. The work was
completed
in August 2013, and the ARN-84 TACAN system finally reinstalled,
enabling pilots to fly unaccompanied. In common with the other five
Saeghes, a further TACAN and UHF/IFF antennas were installed above
the fuselage just behind the canopy. Installation of the new
vertical
stabilisers and subsequently the control system required dozens
of test flights prior to handover to the squadron. With no
calibration system at Owj, the test pilot was responsible for
checking the rudders functionality. During test flights, 3-7154,
an
F-5F from the 41st TFS, served as chase plane, observing the
functionality of the rudders and elevators. Finally, after seven
test flights at Mehrabad International Airport in the space of two
weeks,
the fighter was redelivered to the 23rd TFS on August 30,
2013.
Project 90When studies for the Saeghe-80 project began in the
late 1990s, only ex-Vietnamese and several battle-damaged F-5Es
were available for the Owj plan. Since it was impossible to procure
additional F-5E/Fs from outside Iran, the IRIAFs Deputy of
Operations refused to allow Owj to use airworthy F-5s for its
projects, so the venture focused exclusively on converting
stripped-down F-5Es to Saeghe standard.The first, second and
third
Saeghes-80s were produced by Owj, and their test flights were
performed by five of its seven test pilots, who had been trained in
the Owj test pilot school.In December 2006, on the
orders of Ayatollah Khamenei, research and development for all
Owj industrial projects, including
Above: Saeghes (left-to-right) 3-7369, 3-7367, 3-7368 and 3-7366
line up at Tehrans Mehrabad International Airport on April 20, 2009
for the fl ight to their new home at TAB 2 at Tabriz-Shaheed
Fakouri.
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Thunderbolts on exerciseThe IRIAF conducted an exercise called
Modafeane Harime Velayat (Defenders of Velayats Territory) at TFB 2
between October 17 and 22, 2008. Three Saeghes from TFB 1 were
among the participants, their pilots practising rocketry and
bombing at the Shabestar gunnery range. For the rst time all three
Saeghes ew from Tehran and Tabriz, using the ARN-84 TACAN system
installed in the lead aircraft.The following year saw exercise
Mi-
lade Noore Velayat (Birth of the Light of Velayat) between June
23 and 26, when once again three Saeghes (3-7366, 3-7367 and
3-7368) took part. They were forward-deployed to TFB 10 at Konarak
for the event. In the rst phase of the exercise,
the pilots practised using dummy Mk 83 bombs and Zuni train-ing
rockets against the target. In the second phase they practised
low-level bombing with Mk 82SE retarded bombs. Owing to the
inferior work of the TFB 2 weapon o cers, the retarded bombs ns
failed to activate, causing the weap-ons to explode under the
aircraft. This led to the crash of an F-5F and damaged the skin of
a Saeghe ying as wingman. In September 2011 the IRIAFs
conducted another exercise at TFB 2 Modafeane Harime Velayat-3.
Seven tactical ghter bases detached aircraft to participate. Four
Saeghes of the 23rd TFS were among the 45 ghters involved in the
exercise, which ran from the 11th to the 15th of the month.
Exercise Modafeane Harime
Velayat-4 began at TFB 9 Bandar Abbas on December 18, 2013, with
maritime attack training as its primary objective. During the
exer-cise TFB 2 deployed three Saeghes (3-7366, 3-7369 and 3-7370),
two F-5Fs (3-7167 and 3-7169) and an F-5E (3-7334) to TFB 9, which
lasted until December 21.
Instead of meeting the needs of the IRIAF, the Saeghe project is
propagandistic and does not represent a signifi cant improvement in
the performance and combat capabilities of the air forces
F-5E/Fs
Azarakhsh, SR.II and Saeghe 80, became the responsibility of
IAMI (HESA). Subsequently, the Owj test pilot school was disbanded
and its single remaining Beechcraft Bonanza was handed over the
IRIAFs Primary Flight Training School at Kushk-Nosrat.Between 2007
and 2009, two
of the five Saeghe test pilots were promoted to higher ranks and
became officers of the IRIAFs HQ, leaving just three. In 2008, two
F-5E test pilots from TFB 2 qualified to fly the Saeghe in Tehran
and then at Shahin-Shahr increasing the number to five once more.
Without a twin-seat version of the Saeghe, the training of future
pilots will be costly and difficult. When the first Saeghe
squadron
was formed in 2009, the IRIAF HQ became aware of the necessity
of a training version of the aircraft. The flying characteristics
of the Saeghe-80 are similar to its predecessor, the F-5E, but
several
elements demand much greater pilot attention. In particular,
they must be aware of the effects of the control surfaces on the
aircrafts movement around its longitudinal axis (roll axis),
especially banking at low speed.In late 2009, the IRIAFs Owj
Complex defined a project named Saeghe-90, later named Saeghe
II, which involved the installation of the Saeghes twin vertical
stabilisers on the two-seat F-5F.
Saeghe II is bornIAMI/HESAs Saeghe design bureau, which now
consisted of former engineers from Owj as well as new staff,
completed the design of the Saeghe-90 project in 2011. Now they
needed an F-5F airframe to develop the idea.While the IRIAFs HQ
had
scheduled mass conversion of the IRIAFs F-5Es to Saeghe standard
to begin in 2016, there were no F-5Fs available except for an
Above: Twin-seat Saeghe 3-7182 pictured during the unveiling
ceremony in the northwest corner of Mehrabads International
Airport, Tehran. The aircraft wore a 23rd TFS camoufl age scheme
for the occasion. Reza AlaviLeft: A pair of Saeghes release Mk 82
Snake Eye retarded bombs over Shabe-star gunnery range as part of
Exercise Modafean Harim-E Velayat in 2011.
Above: Armed with a dummy AIM-9J Sidewinder, a rocket pod and an
Mk 82 bomb, 3-7369 was a former Vietnamese F-5E that was repaired
by Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industrial Company, only to be
modifi ed further into Saeghe 3-7369. Left: Still in their zinc
chromate fi nish, the twin tails of 3-7366 are shown off to good
effect as the Saeghe is towed towards the paint shop of the 11th
TFS in August 2013.
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90 www.airforcesmonthly.comJUNE 2015 #327
airframe in storage with Owj.The jet, 3-7180 (c/n Z1027),
formerly of TFB 4 at Vahdati, had suffered an accident on
October 21, 2000 when, during an engine run-up, one of the
technicians mistakenly jettisoned the cockpit canopies. The
aircrafts boat tail and vertical and horizontal stabilisers were
damaged by the falling canopies. The F-5F was then withdrawn from
service and cannibalised for spares: after three years no valuable
parts were left on the airframe.In 2005, it was handed over
to Owj for restoration and the airframe structure and skin were
repaired. But the lack of some vital parts, including the ejection
seats which had been destroyed in the accident, meant the F-5F was
left in storage. IAMI experts spent two years
working on the main airframe. Several hundred metres of wiring
were replaced and new parts smuggled into Iran, including avionic
components, installed. Meanwhile the new V-shape tail section with
its twin vertical stabilisers was designed and installed.Several
new NAVAIDS such as
ILS and TACAN were installed alongside the old ARN-84 TACAN
system. Two Russian-made K-36LT ejection seats were installed
similar to those used in the F-5B Simorgh (Phoenix), a conversion
of the F-5A and RF-5A to F-5B standard at IAMI/HESA along with a
new secure UHF radio assembled by Iranian Electronic Industries.
Apart from these new features, no changes were made to the
aircrafts systems.
Maiden flightAfter a years delay caused by difficulties in
providing the required spare parts in the face of sanctions, the
Saeghe II was finally prepared
for ground tests at the IAMI facility in Shahin-Shahr in
December 2014. Following test flights in January and February 2015
the aircraft was prepared for delivery.It was finally flown to
Mehrabad
for an unveiling ceremony on February 5, 2015. Painted in the
full Asian Minor II colour scheme and wearing the serial 3-7182,
the Saeghe II was presented to the public at a ceremony at Mehrabad
four days later. During the event Brigadier Hatami, Acting
Secretary of the Iranian Ministry of
Defence, Brigadier General Alireza Barkhor, the deputy commander
of the IRIAF, and Brigadier Manuchehr Manteghi, CEO of the Iranian
Aviation Industries Organisation, spoke to the media about their
achievement.
A positive future?After the IRIAF realised the twin vertical
stabilisers of the Saeghe did not significantly improve the
aircrafts flight characteristics, it decided to limit the concept
to one squadron consisting of 12 F-5E
Saeghes, now complemented by the single F-5F Saeghe II.In 2007
the defence ministry
and its IAMI/HESA company were contracted to develop a new
avionics upgrade package for the IRIAFs F-5E/F fleet. However, only
three more of the
original avionics packages were acquired, and the programme
ground to a halt. Instead, IAMI began work on the Sino-Iranian
SR.II project, which was subsequently cancelled by the IRIAF HQ in
2006 or 2007.Instead of meeting the needs
of the IRIAF, the Saeghe project is propagandistic and does not
represent a significant improvement in the performance and combat
capabilities of the air forces F-5E/Fs. As such, the IRIAF has no
intention to deliver additional airworthy and operational F-5E/Fs
to IAMI for modification.Now, just 13 F-5Fs from a
total of 28 delivered under the Peace Rush III Foreign Military
Sale programme are still operational with the IRIAF. It is not
clear whether it will risk
modifying them under the Saeghe II venture.
Above: Surprisingly the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force based
the Saeghes early blue and yellow colour scheme on that of the US
Navys Blue Angels display team. Zare Zadeh
The fi rst Saeghe built, S.110-001, was fi tted with an inverted
F-5B nose cone, in order to test airframe aerodynamics. The
prototype takes off from runway 29L during the programmes unveiling
ceremony on September 20, 2007. Amir Naderi
afm
Saeghe In ServiceVersion Serial No. Code C/N Delivery Note
Saeghe 3-7366 S.110-001 n/a Jun 2014 Former Azarakhsh 3-7301
Saeghe 3-7367 S.110-002 n/a 20 Sep 2007 Former Azarakhsh
3-7302
Saeghe 3-7368 S.110-003 U.1048 20 Sep 2007 Formerly the
3-7060
Saeghe 3-7369 - n/a Feb 2009 Former Vietnamese F-5E
Saeghe 3-7370 - n/a 10 Oct 2010
Saeghe 3-7371 - n/a Oct 2012
Saeghe-II 3-7182 - Z.1027 9 Feb 2015 Formerly the 3-7180
AIRCRAFT PROFILE IRIAF Saeghe (Thunderbolt)