Posted on 09/27/2013 1:22:44 AM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
Iranian F-14 Tomcat’s “new” indigenous air-to-air missile is actually an (improved?) AIM-54 Phoenix replica
Among the hardware on display during the annual military parade in Tehran, on Sunday Sept. 22, 2013, Iran not only displayed a new indigenous passive phased array radar system for detecting stealth targets and cruise missiles, but it also showed the country’s latest home-made missile productions, including the Fakour-90.
The Fakour-90 missile is one of the latest “state-of-the-art productions” of the Iranian Armed Forces which can be mounted on F-14 fighter jets.
It’s almost identical to the AIM-54 Phoenix and, more than a brand new missile, is just a domestically upgraded, partially reverse engineered version of the famous long range missile carried by the U.S. Navy Tomcat.
The AIM-54 was developed in the mid-sixties and the IRIAF has operated some of them. Even if we can’t talk of a “new missile”, we can’t but notice that the Iranians managed to keep them in service and, maybe, upgrade them a little bit. What’s even more surprising is that Tehran managed to keep the F-14s airworthy, considered the sanctions on Iran and the consequent lack of spare parts for the Tomcats.
The different component is hidden inside the missile’s nose cone and is (probably) a semi-active homing system of the Shalamcheh surface-to-air missile – once again a reverse engineered, improved version of the U.S. MIM-23 Hawk SAM.
Image credit: FNA, PressTV
Did they parade their “stealth fighter” too? Maybe a flyover? :D
Bit of a sneer in this article, but I must admit to being impressed with the way the Iranians have managed to keep those F-14s flying. You’d think they would have all been cannibalized into hanger queens by now.
Let’s see a test firing of their improved missile.
There's a lot of 1950's Detroit hardware on the streets of Havana.
As I drove out on the streets of Havana
As I drove out on Havana one day,
I spied an old Cuban wrapped in a red Chevy,
Wrapped in a red Chevy as old as the clay.
I believe their Air Force command and control is that like the old Soviet Union. Take out the controllers and their pilots are blind to orders. Same as Sadamm Hussein.
Weird wording ..... comes across as rather tongue and cheek.
Passive phased array radar?
Except the phased array part is not passive so later on the article calls it a semi-passive radar.
Something tells me they’re just referring to the AWG 9 radar TWS mode (track while scan) — Standard equipment for the AWG 9/AIM 54 missle system since 1978 when I started working on them.
I suppose passive radar mode could be they use radar paint from say a ground radar station or flying E2 type radar ... but again it’s just standard equipment since release.
F14’s — Their two big Pratt and Whitney’s make great heat signatures for total passive IR missles like whatever version of the sidewinder (or subsequent model like the AIM 120).
Keeping a Jet flying is one thing, keeping them operationally fit is quite another.
They must have something like a 1 functional F14 to 3 Hanger Queens.
We’ll need a few more Obama’s in office before we have to start worrying about Iran’s Air force as anything but a speed bump.
Back at the start of those sanctions, I remember an interview with some Iranian official (UN?) where the reporter asked pretty much the same question...How ya gonna keep 'em flyin' without spare parts? The answer was given with a smirk (paraphrased)....We have no worry. After all, we are dealing with American businessmen.
Iranians in their war against Iraq used their Tomcats as a kind of AWACS, guiding other planes to Iraqis. They used them with large success.
“Passive phased array radar?”
Phased array is nothing but a bunch of antennas assembling a wide angle via electronics instead of mechanically rotating/sweeping antenna. While passive means it can use almost any other source of radio signal for tracking it’s target without sending out a beam it self.
“F14’s — Their two big Pratt and Whitney’s make great heat signatures for total passive IR missles like whatever version of the sidewinder (or subsequent model like the AIM 120).
Keeping a Jet flying is one thing, keeping them operationally fit is quite another.
They must have something like a 1 functional F14 to 3 Hanger Queens.”
I wonder if they turned the Tomcat into a Crumcat by replacing the P&Ws with russian Mig-29 Fullcrum RD-33s engines to keep it flying. It would be much more gas guzzling but easier to maintain, more reliable and provide more power then the ill fated TF30.
I think the only part they really have to worry about is wear on the wingbox. All the other stuff can be more or less easily substituted by russian designs or domestic reengineered parts. But after so many years of service, including 10 years of heavy dogfight in the Iraq-Iran war fatigue on the structural elements is guaranteed. And that is what turns a fighter airplane finally into a useless piece of junk. So don’t worry. One day these aircraft will get rendered useless no matter what they try to do. Building entire new F-14s on theyre own would be too costly and nonense if they can buy the superior new Suchoi T-50 PAK FA.
Whatever, but it’s not a passive phase array radar. In fact next to the Antenna, the Transmitter is the biggest box in the system.
The intent of the passive was to fire off your phoenix in “Active” mode, then use the radar of the phoenix missle to track while scanning ... there ... passive mode and sweeping and circling.
The sparrow missile is semi-active — which is strange cause it’s built in radar is totally passive. It relies on the F14’s reflected radar signal to track the target, otherwise it’s just a kinetic missile.
Those engine mounts and landing gear struts will fatigue much quicker than the wing pinions.
The Iranians don’t perform carrier operations so the landing gear on theirs dont get as much stress as the navy cats. I’d guess the iranians are capable of building engine mounts if they can build entire F-5 clones on their own. But i guess they will have problems with electron beam titanium welding process needed to produce a F-14 wingbox.
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