Iran unveils new homemade fighter jet

[Bosonic]

Source: Reuters

Iran unveiled what it said was a new, domestically built fighter jet on Saturday, local media reported.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said at a ceremony in Tehran that the Qaher 313 demonstrated Iran's growing self-reliance in the field of military technology.

Iran's functional air force has been limited to perhaps as few as a few dozen strike aircraft, either Russian or ageing U.S. models acquired before the 1979 Iranian revolution.

The Islamic Republic, under an international arms embargo, has long struggled to find spare parts and some military experts say the fleet is outdated.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/02/us-iran-military-idUSBRE91104G20130202

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[Scootaloo]

1. I admit, I'm no expert in aerodynamics, but...

[tomm2thumbs]

2. View from the side - to get a better idea of the aerodynamics

[msongs]

3. notice the wire running to ayatollah's pic - does it flie on a wire connected to the ground? nt

[OnlinePoker]

8. Maybe it flies on faith? n/t

[Kolesar]

11. Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain!

Or so we have heard

[dipsydoodle]

4. Not safe near lit matches

[Sherman A1]

5. Okay

let's see it fly.....

[bluesbassman]

6. OK, nice tractor. Where's the plane?

[Scootaloo]

7. Some other photos that make it look less like an alligator pool float

Also, Farsi does not directly translate well into English:

Suk reports quoting defense Propaganda Department of Defense, the Secretary of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi guard with great success, congratulations towards the supreme commander in chief to realize decrees have stated all stages of design and made by scientists and experts from 313 violent indigenous fighter aircraft Defense Industries Organization was created authority.

Anatomy of a violent fighter defense minister said the aircraft's unique Advanced morphological characteristics with very low radar cross section, and is also capable of operating at altitudes post.
Gen. Vahidi, use of advanced materials in the manufacture of aircraft and other advanced systems Alktrvavyvnyk 313 violent fighter features outlined.

Evidently they named it "Omnipotent 313." Seems a little optimistic, if you ask me.

[OnlinePoker]

9. Let's see it fly before we label it a "fighter"

Until then, it's just a ground based target. I seem to recall South Africa during the apartheid arms embargoes also creating their own jets. When you can't buy from somewhere else you either adapt with what you have or develop what you want.

[PuffedMica]

10. I got two questions about this

1. When does Revel come out with the model?

2. Was the first test flight performed by a monkey?

[NickB79]

12. Wouldn't it be crazy

If everyone is talking smack about this plane now, and it turns out to be an insanely good fighter jet in the air?

[Crowman1979]

16. Let's hope we don't learn that the hard way.

[Soylent Brice]

29. +1

[Volaris]

24. lol I know, right?

I have NO DOUBT that the Iranian People could design and build a world-class fighter aircraft. The question, to me, is do those same People have a Government that allows them to achieve such things. I think, for now, the answer is no. Something tells me that plane has a lot of re-engineered old Tomcat and Strike Eagle parts in it, plus MAYBE some stuff they took of that stealth plane of ours that "crashed". I might be wrong, but for now I agree with the above poster that until I see video of it in the air, it's a Ground-Based Target.=)

[obxhead]

13. Additional link with video of the plane

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/video/2013/feb/02/iran-unveils-fighter-jet-video

[eringer]

14. Top Secret Video of Early Test Flights of the Qaher 313

[DemoTex]

15. Potemkin Plane?

This appears to be a very flimsy mock-up, not a craft that will be operational any time soon. In the UK Guardian video, notice the thing wobbling with the pilot aboard (at the 22 sec point). I think the Q-313 is more psychops than fliteops.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/video/2013/feb/02/iran-unveils-fighter-jet-video

[Robb]

17. Iran's papier-mâché program: still second to none.

[chuckstevens]

18. I'm no fan of war, but.....

I don't want the US or Israel to have to strike Iran, but I am strongly in favor of doing everything humanly possible to overthrow the regime of Ahmadinejad. The irony is that because Bush cried wold in Iraq, the world made not stop this asshole before he does something terrible.

[John2]

20. He want even be

the President, they do have Elections. The Supreme Power in Iran are the Mullahs. Iran is no push over. Even our high command has reported the strength of their Armed Forces. I served in the military a long time and I have family that fought in Vietnam and Korea.

Iran use to be an Ally of the U.S. Guess where the Shah sent some of his military, including air force personnel to get training. People can also make a guess who was supplying them with American technology before the falling out with Iran. These people are not dumb as some Americans like to think they cornered the market on intelligence.

Lindsey Graham and McCain along with their extremists in the Republican Party can talk smack all they want but guess who will be doing the dying. Hagel is more practical. People either listen to practical leaders or idiots like Graham, McCain and those wannabes from the Tea Party. They know very little about Wars or the military.

Iran will not be a walkover like Iraq and if people think Afghanistan is a hell hole then Iran will be tougher. They have the largest Army in the Middle East and they can put millions on the field. See the Iraq War, dying is nothing to them.

The strength of their Air Force is bering underestimated too. They can produce their own aircraft. They have studied American technology from the F14 tomcats and they have kept some in service. The Iranian military boasts but they are not telling us everything. See their secret operations elsewhere. They probably learned from us. That is why people don't trust them on the nuclear issue. Accounts report Iran has over 500 aircraft including F14s, F16s, and mirage fighters obtained from the Iraqi air force when Saddam flew them to Iran for safety. This does not include their home grown fighters or the aircraft they obtained on the market from Russia and China. Iran has also been trading technology with North Korea. So why certain right wingers and neocons are beating their chests, the Iranian military could be coaxing the U.S. into a War. That is why cooler heads need to prevail. The Iranian military has said they weill not attack Israel unless Israel starts it. I don't think Netanyahu can win a War with Iran without dragging in the U.S. I think Israel needs us more than we need them.

[RandiFan1290]

21. We'll need your help Chuck!

http://www.todaysmilitary.com/contact-a-recruiter

Feels like I went back in time 10 years
Sign up the kids and grand kids too!

[SCVDem]

19. The Potemkin Fighter

It looks like a model, not an actual flight ready prototype.

What type of powerplants does it have. Chinese or Korean? Who is training their pilots? Got any arms that aren't French?

No matter how high tech, there is a simple problem. Everyone knows where you are coming and going from, and going to, Let me guess, Israel!

Good luck with any air raid.

Smile for the satellite!

[lastlib]

22. "In latest news, the Iranian air force engaged in a dogfight with an American Flyer..."

"Six kills for the Frisbee."

. . . . . . . .

[MynameisBlarney]

23. It just doesn't look right

It's all...stunted looking.

[IDemo]

25. How do you say "lawn dart" in Persian? n/t

[Lurks Often]

26. I don't think this flight worthy

Not anything I can firmly point to, but taken as a whole, I don't think this flight worthy.

1. The front wings (properly canards) are far larger in proportion to the main wing then any design I have seen and I think it is likely that the canards would interrupt the airflow over the main wing.
2. I don't remember seeing a design where the wing tips angled down.
3. The leading edge of the main wing is unusually thick for a modern fighter
4. The intakes look small and poorly placed.
5. The aerilons look small, they are usually larger to make the aircraft more maneuverable.

[rickford66]

27. I'm not an aero guy but ...

If it's real, it has to be fly-by-wire. The more unstable an aircraft is, the more maneuverable it is. I'm sure it's been wind tunnel tested or they would never have shown it to the public. The weak link for them is actually putting it into production. I doubt they have the raw materials and industrial capacity to build more than a few prototypes. During WWII Germany was building aircraft in record numbers near the end of the war using Mom and Pop shops scattered around, but those aircraft were not as sophisticated as this would be. So in my opinion I think it's real but won't go into production without outside help.

[L0oniX]

28. Wow ...quite the update from their previous model...

[renegade000]

30. I think they just saw the movie Argo

"We call your fake science fiction movie....and raise you a fake FIGHTER JET!"

[happyslug]

31. Russian MIG LMFS?? at least influenced?

http://www.ato.ru/content/migs-fifth-generation-fighter-builds-new-momentum

The MIG LMFS is a further development of the MIG 1.44 project:

http://aircraft.wikia.com/wiki/Mikoyan_Project_1.44

Thus this plane may be just a local adaption of the proposed MIG LMFS, or a cover story whenever Iran gets some Russian built MIG LMFSs. I suspect most of the electronics is going to be Russian anyway (Siberia has become a electronic hot bed over the last 10 years), plus the engines.