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IRIAF

Military Airfields Map	IRIAF Bases Map

Iran continues to re-equip its air force from Russia, with more basic air force support coming from China. If the interest of the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF) in state of the art Russian aircraft turns into firm orders, then the IRIAF will be a most formidable force. Procurement and domestic upgrade plans mark a major change in procurement policy from Western to former Communist bloc equipment. This will almost certainly require corresponding changes in tactical doctrines and unit organization to Russian Air Force standards. The comparatively few remaining Western combat aircraft maintained in airworthy condition in IRIAF service are therefore likely to be progressively phased out over the next few years, during deliveries of their Russian/Ukrainian replacements.
    The first batch of PC-7 aircraft was the only IRIAF acquisition of Western aircraft made between the Iranian revolution and the first of 15 Brazilian-built Tucano trainers delivered in 1989-90. In 1990 the last of 25 Mushak piston-engined trainers ordered for the Pasdaran from Pakistan was delivered. An evaluation batch of three will be delivered in 1988. In a significant development Iran announced in September 1997 that the Iranian Air Force had launched a production line for the country's first jet strike fighter, the Azarakhsh ("Lightning"). It was also announced that production work would start on two Iranian-designed training aircraft, the jet-powered Dorna (`Lark') and the propeller-driven Parastu (`Swallow').
    Iran has placed a considerable emphasis on its air force in its post-Gulf War military strategy, as a means of countering the growing US military presence in the Gulf. US officials estimated in late 1998 that the Iranian Air Force had quite a high pace of operations, of about 75 sorties a day.

Regional Air Force Strengths

Iran's air force continues to grow in strength and potential. Operational capability was reduced during the war with Iraq and as a result of Western arms embargoes on civil and military aviation equipment. Domestic industry is now being used to good effect to improve the inventory and judging by the number of arms embargo breaches which are being investigated in the EU and US, there is a continued need for new spares in Iran.

Air defense forces

Current IRIAF aircraft procurement plans for Russian material follow initial contracts placed with the USSR, which resulted in first deliveries of 14 MiG-29 aircraft in 1990. Taking into account ex-Iraqi aircraft, orders for the further 48 MiG-29 `Fulcrums' now planned will increase the IRIAF total to around 66, plus 24 long-range MiG-31 `Foxhounds'. These will provide the basis of an effective interceptor force within Air Defense Command, backed by the Mirage F1, if the necessary spares and training can be obtained from France. This order of battle is completed by the shorter range Chengdu F-7M aircraft. This air defense force, plus the ground radars and surface-to-air missiles, such as the Chinese-supplied HQ-2J surface-to-air missiles, will be integrated into the national C3I system.
    It is reported that the system was enhanced during the late 1990s by the acquisition from Russia of two Beriev A-50 `Mainstay' airborne early warning aircraft. Iran has converted a Boeing 707-3J9C tanker/transport for SIGINT (signals intelligence) missions and to carry in-flight refueling equipment, possibly derived from Israel. Reports that several Boeing 747F-131 airliners have also been converted to tankers have not been confirmed. The air force has taken over responsibility for the I-HAWK batteries of the army and increased the number operational to 150.

Strike forces

Iran is understood, although this has not been confirmed, to have ordered up to 12 Tu-22M-3 `Backfire C' long-range strategic bombers from Russia or Ukraine. These will join a force of 24 ex-Iraqi Su-24 aircraft, which former IRIAF Commander-in-Chief General Mansour Sattari claimed in February 1992 had been deployed for service with a smaller force of MiG-27 and Su-22 aircraft. This gives Iran a formidable strike capability. The first Su-24 pilots graduated in August 1994.
    In June 1997 it was reported that Iran had successfully test-fired two air-launched versions of the Chinese C-801 anti-ship cruise missile. US sources said the tests were conducted by F-4 Phantoms. There was concern that the missiles could pose a threat to US naval forces in the Gulf. US military sources pointed to the fact that Iran now posed a `360 degree threat', with a combination of cruise missiles that can be fired from air, land and sea.

Maritime capability

The IRIAF also has responsibility for maritime-reconnaissance and shore-based anti-submarine warfare, for which it operates two or three P-3F Orions and an RC-130 Hercules.

Organization

The Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF) is organized on the basis of three regional commands, namely the Western Area Command (WAC), the Southern Area Command (SAC) and the Eastern Area Command (EAC). The WAC holds the bulk of the air force combat assets, with interceptors and/or close support aircraft based at Mehrabad/Tehran, Tabriz, Hamadan, Dezful, Umidiyeh, Shiraz, Isfahan and Doshan-Tappeh/Tehran. Some of the squadrons based in the WAC have a particular focus on the air space along the sensitive frontier with Iraq. The WAC also covers the north of Iran and the region around the capital Tehran. The SAC covers air bases along the shores of the Persian Gulf, at Bushehr, Bandar Abbas and Chah Bahar. However, the air force operates its maritime reconnaissance aircraft, the P-3F, from the base at Shiraz, which is within easy reach of the Persian Gulf. The EAC has a focus on the border with Afghanistan, with Zahedan being the main air base in the frontier region. A number of tactical training squadrons also come under the aegis of the EAC. There are aircraft shelters in all operational airfields.
    Estimates of the number of combat squadrons have varied greatly. On paper at least, as outlined below in the `Operational Unit Locations' table, there are 27 squadrons, according to data that emerged in 2001. These have been identified in terms of their home base and, in most cases, by unit number and aircraft deployed. However, it is unclear how many of these are fully active or up to full strength - one estimate suggests a figure of about 16 active combat squadrons. A complicating factor is that some aircraft in the F-7 fleet are reported to be operated by the air arm of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) or Pasdaran-e-enghelab. Few details are available about this air unit.
    For many years, however, Iran has evidently managed to overcome the worst effects of the US arms veto by employing its own manufacturing resources, according to the IRIAF commander, from extensive expansion of its military and defense industries and by obtaining spares from alternative sources. These sources include the Russian Federation, Ukraine, China and North Korea. Recent efforts have seen Iran investigate the possibility of substantially upgrading its stocks of US built aircraft, largely with Russian parts.
    Itemized deliveries are virtually impossible to confirm but they are known to have included at least 72 F-7M Airguard (a Chinese version of the MiG-21), with associated PL-2 and PL-7 air-to-air missiles, following earlier F-6 (MiG-19) deliveries. Iran also purchased 11 F-5E Tiger II aircraft and spares, declared surplus by the Vietnamese government, in mid-1991. A major windfall for the IRIAF occurred in early 1991, with the unexpected arrival of over 100 Iraqi Air Force aircraft fleeing to avoid destruction by the coalition air offensive. In April 1992 , these were stated by the Iraqi Foreign Ministry to comprise:

24 Mirage F1EQ multi-role fighters;
24 Sukhoi Su-24MK `Fencer' low-level strike aircraft;
4 MiG-29 `Fulcrum' advanced air superiority fighters;
4 Sukhoi Su-20; 40 Su-22M `Fitter' swing-wing ground-attack aircraft;
7 Su-25 `Frogfoot' strike-fighters;
3 MiG-23B;
4 MiG-23ML;
4 MiG-23BN;
1 MiG-23UM interceptor;
and operational trainer aircraft.

Iran refused to acknowledge the arrival of more than 22 of these aircraft, which Iraq claimed to include a further 33 civil-registered types; those belonging to Kuwait have been returned. It has become clear that most of the combat aircraft have been taken over for IRIAF use, although their current disposition and serviceability are unknown. Evidence that the ex-Iraqi Su-22 ground-attack fighters were being flown in Iran was confirmed in early 1993 when one collided in the air with an Iran Air Tour Tu-154 at Tehran, killing more than 130 passengers. It was understood that at least one MiG-29 was loaned to Pakistan in the 1990s for evaluation.
    The IRIAF originally put into service three ex-Iraqi Dassault Falcon 50 light transports, but these were transferred to the army in 1994-92. It now uses F27 aircraft in the light transport role and is also assumed to have retained the 15 civil-registered Ilyushin Il-76 freighters. In early 1993 the former chief-of-staff of the Sudanese Army said that some of the ex-Iraqi combat aircraft, notably the MiG-23 and possibly the Su-25 aircraft, had been transferred to Sudan by Iran for use against the southern rebels.
    Switzerland has apparently delivered additional PC-7 training aircraft since 1993. Personnel figures include 12,000 officers and other ranks allocated to air defense duties with missile and gun systems.

Government aircraft
In addition to a large transport element, mainly equipped with Western aircraft, the IRIAF oversees several paramilitary organizations that maintain and operate civil-registered transport aircraft and helicopters.

• Oil Research and Development Agency. According to IPTN Indonesia, this government flying unit has received five AS-332 transport helicopters.

• National Topography Organization. The National Topography Organization received five Do 228 aircraft in 1992.

• Iran Postal and Telecommunications Aviation. The Iran Postal and Telecommunication Aviation received four EMB-110P Bandeirante aircraft in 1992.

Air Force Bases

Three primary air defence sectors are:

Air force bases include:

Aghajari
Ahvaz
Bandar Abbas

Birjand
Bushehr
Chah Bahar
Dezful
Doshan-Tappeh/Tehran
Ghaleh Morghi/Tehran
Hamadan
Isfahan
Kermanshah
Khark
Mashhad
Mehrabad/Tehran
Nou Shahr
Shiraz
Tabriz
Zahedan

WESTERN AREA COMMAND

SOUTHERN AREA COMMAND

EASTERN AREA COMMAND

Inventory: Fixed-Wing

Inventory: Rotary-Wing

Inventory: Air Defense Systems

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(Source: Jane's Sentinel Security Assessment, 08-21-01)  http://www.janes.com