Up above a big military parade in Tehran on Tuesday, Sept. 22, as Iranian president declared Iran's armed forces would "chop off the hands" of any power daring to attack his country, two air force jets collided in mid-air. One was Iran's only airborne warning and control system (AWACS) for coordinating long-distance aerial operations, DEBKAfile's military and Iranian sources disclose.
The proud military parade, which included a march-past, a line of Shehab-3 missiles and an air force fly-past, was planned to give Ahmadinejad a dazzling send-off for New York and add steel to his UN Assembly speech Wednesday.
Dubbed "Simorgh" (a flying creature of Iranian fable which performs wonders in mid-flight), the AWACS' appearance, escorted by fighter jets, was to have been the climax for the Iranian Air force's fly-past over the parade. Instead, it collided with one of escorting planes, a US-made F-5E, and both crashed to the ground in flames. All seven crewmen were killed.
Eye witnesses reported that the flaming planes landed on the mausoleum burial site of the Islamic revolution's founder Ruhollah Khomeini, a national shrine. According to Western observers, no distress signals came from either cockpit indicating that the collision and explosions were sudden and fast.
DEBKAfile's military sources say the disaster was a serious blow to the Iranian Air Force not long after its first and only AWACS went into service in April 2008. It was a renovated version of the Russian Ilyushin 76, part of Saddam Hussein's air force before it was transferred to Iran in 1991 during the first Gulf War.
Tehran hired Russian technicians to carry out renovations and install up-to-date radar. At the launching ceremony of the upgraded AWACS, Air Force commander Brig. Gen. Ahmad Miqani boasted its new radar systems were made in Iran and able to spot any airplane or missile at a distance of 1,000 kilometers from Iran's borders.
The loss of this airborne control system has left Iran's air force and air and missile defenses without "electronic eyes" for surveillance of the skies around its borders.


How much does this affect iran militarily?

It's hard to chop off the hands of your enemies when you're own troops are killing each other in parades. It is pretty ironic a American made aircraft caused this. How do those words taste Dictator Alphabet?

The impact of this incident on their military is debatable. This plane would not make much of a difference against the "powers" he speaks of. These "powers" will know exactly where to find them so that makes this aircraft void. Knowing where something is and actually being able to destroy it are 2 entirely different things. I think the greater blow here is to the morale of his troops. So much for walking softly with a big stick.

Originally Posted by Big_Z

It is pretty ironic a American made aircraft caused this.

It's more likely caused by an Iranian Pilot.

Obviously. My point was that something made in the USA was a tool for thier deaths right after thier leader called the US out.

Having them crash on the tomb was great planning!

Its surprising the Iranians only have the one. I would have thought they would have bought more from someone else like China or Russia.

How does it hamper them? Well its going to make things difficult to coordinate Air operations outside of Iranian airspace, not that there is much of a threat of that happening. Within Iranian airspace, I dont think the Iranians will be much bothered as have ground based rader and communications systems. A single AWACS is far more vunerable than ground based installations are.

It is humiliating that they would lose one it such a silly manner, along with a F-5E to boot.