And, IIRC, the F1s have rather been under the comand of the IRGC rather than IRAAF due to their “internal security”-role.
Interesting as they have IRIAF stencilled on nose. Do IRGC aircraft carry IRIAF.
Which makes sence since the lack of other armament than the gun (and perhaps unguided rockets or dumb bombs) make them of limite d military value for IRAAF
That’s about the average capability for any IRIIAF ground attack tasked jet.
And the fleet is just to small to make expensive upgrades worthwhile.
I read a while back that both F-4D (some 10 airframes) and Mirage F1 (23 airframes in total, not all operational) were scheduled for retirement but all the US sabre rattling meant they decided to keep them.
Most IRIAF aircraft types are operated in very small numbers – e.g. there’s only about 26 MiG-29s, 25 F-14s, 10 F-4Ds etc.
In context of this, 23 Mirage F1 ariframes is reasonable.
And especially so since the can not purchase first hand spareparts and sub systems on the open market due to international arms embargo on Iran.
Apparently the Mirages, Sukhois and MiGs arrived with Il-76s full of spares.
Also there is a lot of Mirage F1s floating around in countries with less than reputable reputations in terms of weapons dealing or adhering to US led sanctions – South Africa, Libya, Ecuador and now Gabon as transhipment point. I don’t see Morocco or Jordan smuggling weapons to Iran.
It’d be easier to obtain F.1 parts than F-14 or even F-4D/E parts and Iran keeps both types in service.
So, I’d guess the Iranis will just keep on flying their F1s in their current form untill the frames run out of flight hours, and then dispose of them.
Apparently they’ve attained some sort of overhaul capability.
The fact is as you say, these birds have been in service for more than a decade. Unless Iran is flying around in aircraft that anyone else would deem unsafe, it would appear they’ve reached some sort of self-sufficiency with them.
I generally don’t believe any sort of BS coming out of Iran about new designs, but they have proved themselves resourceful in terms of keeping existing assets in the air without manufacturer support for decades, and during times of war.
If they’re keeping their Mirage F1s, there might be an upgrade in the works ala F-4D/E plans (whatever happened to this by the way?).
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