HESA Azarakhsh
Summary
| Category | Combat Aircraft |
| Origin country | 🇮🇷 Iran |
| Manufacturer | HESA |
| First flight | 1 April 1997 |
| Year introduced | 2001 |
| Number produced | 6 units |
Technical specifications
| Version: Azarakhsh | |
|---|---|
| Crew | 1 (pilot) |
Current operating countries
| Country | Units | ||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Iran | 4 | |
All operators
Description
The HESA Azarakhsh is a jet fighter aircraft manufactured by the Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industrial Company (HESA). Developed in Isfahan by the Iranian military, the Iranian Defense Ministry, and HESA, the aircraft is widely regarded as a rebuilt and renamed American Northrop F-5 Freedom Fighter/Tiger II, though Iranian authorities claim it is the country's first domestically manufactured combat jet fighter.
In April 1997, Iranian Brigadier General Arasteh declared that Iran had designed, constructed, and tested its first fighter aircraft. Production was reported to have begun by late 1997, and by mid-2000, four aircraft were undergoing operational tests, with production proceeding at a reported rate of approximately ten aircraft per year. Although the acting commander of the Air Force stated in May 2000 that the Azarakhsh had reached the mass-production stage, the Ministry of Defense stated in August 2007—following a test flight on August 5, 2007—that the aircraft was at the industrial production stage and mass production would begin in the future.
There are no known differences between the Azarakhsh and the original Northrop F-5E. The limited number of observed Azarakhsh aircraft indicates that the platform is a rebuild of existing Northrop F-5 airframes rather than a newly built design. No performance data or capabilities have been released. As of 2001, six aircraft were reported to be in service.
Main Variants
- Saeqeh: A follow-on aircraft derived from the Azarakhsh fighter that entered service with the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force on September 22, 2007.
- Kowsar: A jet trainer and strike aircraft unveiled by IAIO in August 2018, produced in single and two-seater versions.