Last thing, I saw F-4s in that video but are they still worth anything? I mean, it's a pretty old design and without any US support are they really even worth flying in a modern air-war?

Last question, am I the only one who'se noticed that in all their propoganda videos comming out of this exercise we haven't seen a single F-14?

Actually I know what you mean but the Iranian F-4s have gone under some sort of local upgrades and they are still airworthy.
In 1980s, Israelis helped us upgrade our F-4 fleet (there are enough evidence proving it)! But remember that Turkey, Greece and South Korea are still using the same type, however the Iranian F-4s are much newer than those of Turkish or Koreans.

Regarding the IRIAF F-14s
since my dad was trained on the type in late 70s in the US, I can tell you that they are up and running!
At least 70% of the delivered F-14As are ready to fly and combat.(unfortunately the rest have been lost in combat or due to mechanical failure).

And If you take a better look at the first video, you would see couple of F-14As with the AIM-54As under their bodies.

And I am quite aware that IRIAF has been doing some sort of reverse engineerings to produce AIM-54As.

However, during Iran-contra some useful kits to keep the AIM-54As ready got to Iran, courtesy of President Reagan.




IRIAF F-14A Carrying AIM-54A



An IRIAF F-14 undergoing repair and overhaul in IRIAF Facilities in Mehrabad AFB



4 IRIAF F-14As in Fleet formation


F-4E, MiG-29, F-14A

That's all CGI.

Really, though, we don't know those ain't footage from the early 80s.

If you are interested to know more, I'd recommend the following books

http://www.acig.org/pg1/content.php




http://www.ospreypublishing.com/titl...hp/title=S6585

Iranian F-4 Phantom II Units in Combat



http://www.ospreypublishing.com/titl...=S7875&ser=COM

Iranian F-14 Tomcat Units in Combat



http://misc.kitreview.com/bookreview...reviewkb_1.htm

http://www.internetmodeler.com/2004/...osprey-f14.php


Review by Peter B. Mersky, USNR (Ret.), in US Combat Naval Aviation News:

PROFESSIONAL READING: Review of Iranian F-14 Tomcats in Combat
Naval Aviation News (Washington) Sep/Oct 2005.Vol.87, Iss. 6; pg. 24


Iranian F-14 Tomcat Units In Combat (Osprey Combat Aircraft) (Paperback)
by Tom Cooper, Farzad Bishop
PROFESSIONAL READING: Review of Iranian F-14 Tomcats in Combat
Naval Aviation News (Washington) Sep/Oct 2005.Vol.87, Iss. 6; pg. 24


Iranian F-14 Tomcat Units In Combat (Osprey Combat Aircraft) (Paperback)
by Tom Cooper, Farzad Bishop
Publisher: Osprey Publishing (UK) (October 15, 2004)
Language: English
ISBN: 1841767875

Undoubtedly one of the more unusual titles in Osprey's highly successful Combat Aircraft series, No. 49 presents a familiar U.S. Navy fighter in an unexpected venue, flying with the green-white-red roundels of the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF) and desert camouflage.

Before he was overthrown in 1979, the Shah of Iran bought 80 F-14A Tomcats, 79 of which were delivered, together with their AIM-54 Phoenix missiles. The bloody revolution saw many of the "Shah's pilots" thrown into prison. When the long and equally bloody conflict with Iraq began in September 1980, the religious leaders of Iran saw the merit of restoring these highly skilled aviators to the cockpits of these expensive planes. Despite long months of incarceration, most of the returning Tomcat crews of the newly formed IRIAF quickly demonstrated their collective skill and patriotism, eventually taking their F-14s through eight years of intense aerial combat.

Although hard-pressed to maintain their fleet of American-built fighters, Iranian ground crews kept as many as 60 Tomcats mission capable throughout much of the war, despite a lack of parts, normal attrition, and dwindling
supplies of material and munitions. Iranian F-14 crews clashed repeatedly with Iraqi MiGs and French Mirage F-Is as the Iraqis attacked Iranian oil platforms and storage facilities. The fact that many of these highly skilled, aggressive Iranian crews had been in prison after the revolution makes their story all the more remarkable. These crews are responsible for the only kills scored by the highly touted Phoenix missile, which, along with the AWG-9 nose-mounted radar, was at the heart of the F14's weapons system. Throughout the book, the Tomcat's capabilities are highlighted in a way not seen in accounts of U.S. Navy operations and are nearly too much to be believed. Iraqi MiG-21 and MiG-23 pilots didn't stand a chance against the big American swing-wing fighter. The equally large and powerful MiG-25-some flown by Soviet instructor pilots-had to rely on its eye-watering speed to disengage from a flight of IRIAF Tomcats.

IRIAF Tomcats scored the F-14's first kills a full year before the U.S. Navy's Fighter Squadron 41 Libyan MiG killers, and if the book is to be believed, went on to gain more than 150 victories against the Iraqis. According to the list of individual kills in the book's appendices, there appear to be two or three IRIAF F-14 aces, one of whom scored at least nine confirmed kills.

This book's photos and text abound with surprising details and accounts little known in the Western press, which the authors say was sadly misinformed as to the status and operational readiness of the IRIAF's Tomcat fleet. One unfortunately confusing aspect of the text is the authors' assertion that the names of the pilots whose experiences are featured in the text are not their true identities. Thus, as we read about a particular pilot's success or consult the appendices for details on Tomcat kills, we wonder who the Iranian aviator really was. However, I have since learned that the names given in the list of kills are the actual names. A little confusing, but at least we have some idea of these successful crews' identities.

This work is an entertaining look at an air force and arena that have seldom seen any in-depth exposure.

some useful links:

IRIAF Since 1988

http://www.acig.org/artman/publish/article_219.shtml

Persian 'Cats

http://www.acig.org/artman/publish/article_212.shtml

Iranian Air-to-Air Victories since 1976

http://www.acig.org/artman/publish/article_210.shtml

Fire in the Hills: Iranian and Iraqi Battles of Autumn 1982

http://www.acig.org/artman/publish/article_214.shtml

First Persian Gulf War, 1980-1988

http://www.acig.org/artman/publish/article_205.shtml

Originally Posted by King

Why?

Because he's flamebaiting and hates Iranian people?

http://www.iribnews.ir/video/01/09/12/a363.wmv

final day of the exercise can be viewed at the above link

Two questions.

Why do all the Iranian F-14's have English writing on them? Is that the dominant language in Iran?

Why does it seem like every picture of an Iranian jet seems to have US Navy insignia on them?

Originally Posted by Damien435

Two questions.

Why do all the Iranian F-14's have English writing on them? Is that the dominant language in Iran?

Why does it seem like every picture of an Iranian jet seems to have US Navy insignia on them?

English is and has always been the official language of the Iranian Air Force.

Those pics that have US Navy markings are either pics from delivery flights or pics from NAS Miramar.

Whats the big deal with that?

Isn't this simply because you can't see others doing a great job of flying such a nice bird or keeping it airworthy? LoL

No, it is because one of your links says that in the Iran-Iraq war 15-20 F-14's were still flightworthy and that was thought cannibalization because the Iranians could not produce the parts they need, then you come on here claiming that 70% of the 79 (55) aircraft are still flightworthy. On top of that my understanding has always been that the Iranian F-14's have not flown in years, and a middle eastern country using English strikes me as being odd in some weird way, don't know why. (Could be that "Death to the Western Devils!" thing but then again it might not.)

different sources, different info!

I really don't know how to respond to that. Honestly, I can't, I just, wow.