Shafaq (Before the Dawn)
The design for a new Iranian light attack aircraft the Shafaq / Shafagh (Farsi for “before the dawn”) appears to be a replay of a light fighter design developed more than 10 years ago at the Mikoyan design bureau in Moscow. This two-seat Advanced training and Attack aircraft appears to be based on the Russian-Iranian "Project Integral" and are fitted with Russian ejection seats. Reportedly there are plans are to produce three versions -- one two-seat trainer/light strike version and two one-seat fighter-bomber versions.
The Shafaq is a look-a-like of the YF-17. Shafaq is an advanced Light Attack/Trainer aircraft designed by the Aviation University Complex (AUC), part of the Malek Ashtar University of Technology. At the start of the program Iran received help from Russia and the aircraft was back then known as ''Integral'', Russia later backed away from this project due to several reasons and Iran carried on the project by itself and the aircraft became known as ''Shafaq''. The Shafaq is a sub-sonic aircraft, made of radar-absorbing material. It has a large leading edge root extension (LERX) and a root aft of the wing which gives it an unusual circular sub-section. A 1/7 scale model of the Shafaq has already completed testing in the AUC's wind tunnel and pictures have already been revealed which show that a Full-scale model has already been built. The Shafaq will be built in several variants which include a Two-Seater Trainer, Two-Seater Light Attack and a One-Seater Light Attack variant. Roll-out of the first prototype is scheduled for 2008. In August 2004 it was reported that the Shafaq prototype jet was ready for flight.
