Iran Unveils Homegrown Fighter Jet
The Kowsar fighter jet will reportedly be able to carry a range of weapons and is designed for use in short-range air support missions. The aircraft, claimed to be “100 percent indigenously made,” resembles the US-made F-5F jet which first flew in 1974
Dr. Shaul Shay
| 22/08/2018
President Hassan Rouhani next to the new fighter jet (Photo: AP)
Iran unveiled what it called its first domestic fighter jet at a defense show in Tehran on August 21, 2018. The aircraft is dubbed Kowsar, which in Islamic meaning refers to a river in paradise and is also the title of a chapter in the Muslim holy book, the Quran. The plane was first publicly announced on August 18, 2018, by Defense Minister Amir Hatami.
State television showed President Hassan Rouhani briefly sitting in the plane’s cockpit inside a hangar just before the inauguration ceremony. Rouhani said Iran’s defense program is aimed at deterrence vis-à-vis the United States.
Iran claims that the plane is a fourth-generation fighter, with “advanced avionics” and multi-purpose radar, adding that it was “100 percent indigenously made.” The aircraft will reportedly be able to carry a range of weapons and is designed for use in short-range air support missions. According to the state-backed PRESS-TV, the Kowsar can use digital military data networks, multi-purpose digital monitors, ballistic calculation software and smart mobile mapping systems. It also offers pilots a built-in heads-up targeting display.
Kowsar is a dual-cockpit jet, but Iran will also manufacture a single-seat version of the fighter jet. It said the aircraft is capable of flying at an altitude of 45,000 feet and with the speed of Mach 1.2. The Kowsar’s test schedule indicates the jet could enter full service in the early 2020s.
Iran already has US-made F-4, F-5 as well as F-14 fighter jets and also Russian-made Sukhoi aircraft in service. Iran has attempted to “reverse-engineer” parts and weapon systems for these fighters.
Images released showed Kowsar's close similarities to the lightweight US-made F-5F which first flew in 1974, that is a long-time mainstay of the Iranian Air Force. Iran previously reverse-engineered and modified some of its Northrop F-5 fighters as the “Saeqeh.”
Summary
Iran’s functional air force has been limited to perhaps as a few dozen strike aircraft, either Russian or aging US models including F-5s that were acquired before the 1979 Iranian revolution. Iran’s aging fleet puts it at a huge disadvantage compared to regional rivals such as Israel and Saudi Arabia, as well as the United States.
The Islamic Republic often announces military achievements that cannot be independently verified. One of them is Iran’s supposed stealth fighter that was shown in hardware form for the first time in Tehran on April 15, 2017. The F313 Qaher (Conqueror) formed part of an exhibition organized by the Iranian Ministry of Defense for the local media and state dignitaries, including President Hassan Rouhani and Defense Minister Brig. Gen. Hossein Dehqan.
Iran has developed a large domestic arms industry in the face of international sanctions and embargoes that have barred it from importing many weapons. The Kowsar is apparently the first result from a long-gestating all-indigenous jet fighter/trainer development effort. The effort has been led by Iran’s Aerospace Industries Organization (AIO) research center.
The Kowsar's close similarities to the lightweight F-5 and F-5E fighters highlight the technological constraints Iran continues to face as it remains under US and European sanctions on defense exports. The Kowsar project represents the country’s efforts to become more self-sufficient in military technology.
[Sources: The Washington Post, South China Morning Post]
The Kowsar fighter jet will reportedly be able to carry a range of weapons and is designed for use in short-range air support missions. The aircraft, claimed to be “100 percent indigenously made,” resembles the US-made F-5F jet which first flew in 1974
President Hassan Rouhani next to the new fighter jet (Photo: AP)
Iran unveiled what it called its first domestic fighter jet at a defense show in Tehran on August 21, 2018. The aircraft is dubbed Kowsar, which in Islamic meaning refers to a river in paradise and is also the title of a chapter in the Muslim holy book, the Quran. The plane was first publicly announced on August 18, 2018, by Defense Minister Amir Hatami.
State television showed President Hassan Rouhani briefly sitting in the plane’s cockpit inside a hangar just before the inauguration ceremony. Rouhani said Iran’s defense program is aimed at deterrence vis-à-vis the United States.
Iran claims that the plane is a fourth-generation fighter, with “advanced avionics” and multi-purpose radar, adding that it was “100 percent indigenously made.” The aircraft will reportedly be able to carry a range of weapons and is designed for use in short-range air support missions. According to the state-backed PRESS-TV, the Kowsar can use digital military data networks, multi-purpose digital monitors, ballistic calculation software and smart mobile mapping systems. It also offers pilots a built-in heads-up targeting display.
Kowsar is a dual-cockpit jet, but Iran will also manufacture a single-seat version of the fighter jet. It said the aircraft is capable of flying at an altitude of 45,000 feet and with the speed of Mach 1.2. The Kowsar’s test schedule indicates the jet could enter full service in the early 2020s.
Iran already has US-made F-4, F-5 as well as F-14 fighter jets and also Russian-made Sukhoi aircraft in service. Iran has attempted to “reverse-engineer” parts and weapon systems for these fighters.
Images released showed Kowsar's close similarities to the lightweight US-made F-5F which first flew in 1974, that is a long-time mainstay of the Iranian Air Force. Iran previously reverse-engineered and modified some of its Northrop F-5 fighters as the “Saeqeh.”
Summary
Iran’s functional air force has been limited to perhaps as a few dozen strike aircraft, either Russian or aging US models including F-5s that were acquired before the 1979 Iranian revolution. Iran’s aging fleet puts it at a huge disadvantage compared to regional rivals such as Israel and Saudi Arabia, as well as the United States.
The Islamic Republic often announces military achievements that cannot be independently verified. One of them is Iran’s supposed stealth fighter that was shown in hardware form for the first time in Tehran on April 15, 2017. The F313 Qaher (Conqueror) formed part of an exhibition organized by the Iranian Ministry of Defense for the local media and state dignitaries, including President Hassan Rouhani and Defense Minister Brig. Gen. Hossein Dehqan.
Iran has developed a large domestic arms industry in the face of international sanctions and embargoes that have barred it from importing many weapons. The Kowsar is apparently the first result from a long-gestating all-indigenous jet fighter/trainer development effort. The effort has been led by Iran’s Aerospace Industries Organization (AIO) research center.
The Kowsar's close similarities to the lightweight F-5 and F-5E fighters highlight the technological constraints Iran continues to face as it remains under US and European sanctions on defense exports. The Kowsar project represents the country’s efforts to become more self-sufficient in military technology.
[Sources: The Washington Post, South China Morning Post]
