ISFAHAN, Aug. 5--Iran’s indigenous Azarakhsh fighter jet conducted a successful test flight on Sunday.

The fighter jet is designed and built by the experts of Iranian Army, Defense Ministry and Armed Forces Logistics, Fars reported.

Morteza Bakhtiari, governor of Isfahan, said in the ceremony to conduct the test flight that the fighter jet indicates the Iranians’ scientific development.

“The successful flight of the domestically manufactured fighter is a sign of our country’s scientific and technical achievement,“ he said.

He noted that Iranian military experts will take greater strides for boosting their national defense capabilities.

“At a time when the US plans to sell arms to its allies in the region, our country’s technicians take greater giant strides for national defense self-sufficiency,“ he said.

Azarakhsh is the second Iranian fighter jet after Saeqeh, meaning thunderbolt.

http://www.iran-daily.com/1386/2910/html/


Iran to Manufacture Needed Parts of F14 Fighter Jets

TEHRAN (Fars News Agency)- We do not need to import parts of F14 from the US, rather we are now striving to manufacture the 5th generation of fighter jets domestically, Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Mostafa Mohammad Najjar said here on Monday.

Najjar said that his country has started industrial manufacture of its indigenous Azarakhsh fighter jet which conducted a successful test flight yesterday.

"This fighter has entered the phase of industrial manufacturing and a considerable number of this kind of fighter jet will join the air fleet of the armed forces in the near future, the General said on Monday.

He also said that a second generation of Azarakhsh will start flights in the near future.

Najjar said that the defense ministry has also started designing the 5th generation of the advanced fighter jets currently used by the world armies, adding that the ministry is presently repairing different types of military and civilian aircrafts.

Azarakhsh is Iran's second fighter jet after Saeqeh (thunderbolt).

The General further stressed that Iran has gained giant successes in the aerospace industry, including reaching self-sufficiency in missile production, adding that even the raw material for the manufacture of missiles is supplied from inside the country.

He also pointed to the achievements of his ministry, including the manufacture of surface-to-surface missiles with a range of 2,000 kilometers, naval, anti-air, cruise, anti-missile and anti-armor missiles.

The General said that the country has reached self-sufficiency in the manufacture of several types of transportation and battle-field helicopters and attack, video recording and multipurpose drones.

He also referred to other products of the defense ministry, including manufacture of various types of weapons with different calibers, artillery weapons and arsenals, PT boats, rocket-launcher PT boast, submarines, mines, naval cannons, tanks, tools and equipments for defense against chemical warfare, various types of naval and missile radars, optic items and missile electronic equipment.

The minister also said that research budget of his ministry has recently been increased in an effort to counter enemies' sanctions on Iran.

Elsewhere, the defense minister said that Iran is not at all worried about the strengthening of the defense capabilities of Muslim and friendly countries.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran is not at all worried about the strengthening of the defense capabilities of the Muslim, friendly and brotherly states and believes that their increased defense capabilities would boost the defense capabilities of the Muslim world," he added.

"Those regimes, which still dream of a land stretched from the Nile to the Euphrates, should feel concerned about this issue," the General reminded.

He also said, "By adopting such measures, the US intends to save its giant weapon manufacturing companies from the danger of bankruptcy and overshadow its aids to the Zionist regime of Israel."

The General mentioned that the US seeks to change the Israeli-Arab crisis into an Iranian-Arab crisis, "and that's why it sells weapons to certain regional countries."

The official viewed Iran's defensive ties with the Persian Gulf littoral states as good, but meantime stressed that the said relations have the potentials for further expansion.

He also voiced Iran's preparedness to export defensive products and even defensive technologies to the Muslim countries of the region.

He reminded that the Persian Gulf can be protected only through the establishment of security by regional states.

http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=8605150599



Note from Iranian-Shi'ite

This Azerakhsh is different from the fist one that came out in 1999.

The first one looked like an F-5 except about 15% larger (maybe for larger radar).

The next aircraft was the Saeqeh. It looks like the F-5, except with two tail fins (like the yf-17)

This one is also called the Azerakhsh. It looks like an F-5 except it has the intakes beneath the wings, it has leading wing edge flaps, has Mirage shaped wings, and is made of composite material.

The next aircraft to come out is called the Shafaq. It was started with Russian help. It looks like the Mikoyan 1.42, but smaller.