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Forgetting the bad of this world for a second , i was just thinking of something , and done a little research on it ….how feasable for the iranians would be (or more fitting , would have been) something like a deep modernization for the F-14 and F-4? I was thinking for instance , they can take and F-4E , and first thing they do , is swap the J-79s for RD-33s! I’ve looked , about the same power , BUT the RD-33 is much smaller, and seemingly lower sfc aswell . That meens less weight and more range , with slighly more power. Kinda like the israeli Super Phantom, with PW-1120 engines. Most likely the F-4 is better suited as a bomb truck so electronics wise forget AIM-7s, and replace the APQ-120 with something like a Kopyo ,or a Zhuk if it fits, or a chinese system like KLJ-7 and add loads of PGM munitions.
MAYBE consider R-27s/R-77s under the wing ( if a russian radar), or PL-11 or 12 under fuselage (they can probably be made to fit on the launchers, they are similar to AIM-7), while HOBS missiles like R-73 or better chinese PL series (compatible enough with AIM-9).
Add in some decent RWR, nav and comm , and ECM , russian or chinese etc . and you have a useful, modern platform ?
Next you take the F-14, and replace TF-30 with AL-31! It’s smaller, lighter , more powerful , less sfc. You got something like a Super Tomcat, if not even better! I don’t know what can replace the AWG-9 though , but i’m sure a decent effort can heavily modernize them and even make them compatible with PL-11 or 12 type missiles , HOBS missiles like R-73 and chinese PL-series etc. Probably retaining AIM-54 capability will be useful (providing they can rejuvenate the missile electronics) and /or AIM-23 aswell.
I’m not even thinking of Zaslon , because i don’t think the russians will want to sell it anyway on it’s own! Zhuk-MS or similar will not give that very long range missile capability of the R-33 and AIM-54 imo. Besides , R-27 and 77 won’t fit under the fuselage without major alterations, just the wings. But if for instance the russians took something like an N-019 and gave it some pretty decent capabilities A-A and A-G wise , i’m sure same could be done with AWG-9.
Again, add a decent set of avionics and ECM , and you got something that can stand up well against anything short of the F-22 outthere, isn’t it ? It won’t be better than things like F-15S/I and other similar modern platforms, but will be much better than the present Tomcats.
I know i know , just a what-if dream , and it’s very easy to just talk of doing this on that …but how feasible and doable can such a programme be ? I know it will be alot of work , and alot of money… :confused:
The above ideas are inspired by what the israelis achieved in terms of modernization /rebuilding , or the south africans , for instance.
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