HESA Azarakhsh

The HESA Azarakhsh (Template:Langx Âzaraxš, "Thunderbolt") is a jet fighter aircraft manufactured by the Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industrial Company (HESA). It is widely regarded as a rebuilt and renamed American Northrop F-5 Freedom Fighter/Tiger II <ref name="Military Factory.com_Azarakhsh" /> although Iranian authorities claim it is Iran's first domestically manufactured combat jet fighter.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }} Tel Aviv University Publication, Analysis by the Jaffee Center for Strategic Studies</ref>

The Azarakhsh was developed in Isfahan by the Iranian military, the Iranian Defense Ministry, and aircraft-manufacturing company HESA.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Development

In April 1997 Iranian Brigadier General Arasteh, a deputy head of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, declared that Iran had successfully designed, constructed and tested its first fighter aircraft. By late 1997 it was reported that Iran had begun producing the aircraft <ref name="Military Factory.com_Azarakhsh" /> and by mid-2000 four aircraft were said to be undergoing operational tests, with production proceeding at a rate of around ten aircraft per yearTemplate:Citation needed.

On May 17, 2000, Iran's acting commander of the Air Force said that Azarakhsh had reached mass-production stage.<ref>Pavyand.com Template:Webarchive Payvand's Iran News</ref> On August 5, 2007, Azarakhsh conducted a successful test flight.<ref>Azarakhsh fighter conducts successful test flight Template:Webarchive IRNA</ref> On August 6, 2007, Ministry of Defense Mostafa Mohammad-Najjar said, "[Azarakhsh] is now at the stage of industrial production and its mass production will start in the future."<ref>New fighter plane tested successfully: Defense minister Template:Webarchive IRNA</ref>

Design

Azarakhsh

Production started by late 1997 and as of 2001 there were six aircraft reported to be in service.<ref name="Military Factory.com_Azarakhsh" /> Iran has yet to release any additional information about the aircraft and its capabilities are unknown.

There are no known differences between the Azarakhsh and the original Northrop F-5E. Coupled with the fact only very few Azarakhsh jets have been observed since the claimed start of production indicates that the Azarakhsh is not a new-built jet fighter, but a rebuild of existing Northrop F-5s.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Saeqeh

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The HESA Saeqeh is a follow on aircraft, derived from the Azarakhsh fighter.Template:Citation needed As with many previous indigenous Iranian developed weapons, no performance data has been released to verify official claims. An unknown number of this generation have been built and are reported to have entered service with the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF) on September 22, 2007.<ref name="IRNA_Jan5_2008">IRNA 4th, 5th generations of Sa'eqe jet fighters to be produced Template:Webarchive January 5, 2008</ref><ref>Payvand News Saeqeh fighter planes tested successfully in Iran Template:Webarchive September 20, 2007</ref>

Kowsar

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} In August 2018, IAIO unveiled the Kowsar (or Kosar) jet trainer and strike aircraft. The Kowsar will be produced in single and two-seater versions.<ref name=edrmagazine-2018>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=forces-20180821>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=telegraph-20180821>Template:Cite news</ref>