HESA Azarakhsh
The HESA Azarakhsh is a jet fighter aircraft manufactured by the Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industrial Company. It is widely regarded as a rebuilt and renamed American Northrop F-5 Freedom Fighter/Tiger II although Iranian authorities claim it is Iran's first domestically manufactured combat jet fighter.
The Azarakhsh was developed in Isfahan by the Iranian military, the Ministry of Defence and [Armed Forces Logistics (Iran)|Iranian Defense Ministry], and aircraft-manufacturing company HESA.
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 and by mid-2000 four aircraft were said to be undergoing operational tests, with production proceeding at a rate of around ten aircraft per year.On May 17, 2000, Iran's acting commander of the Air Force said that Azarakhsh had reached mass-production stage.
On August 5, 2007, Azarakhsh conducted a successful test flight. On August 6, 2007, Ministry of Defense Mostafa Mohammad-Najjar said, "
Design
Azarakhsh
Production started by late 1997 and as of 2001 there were six aircraft reported to be in service. 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.