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Persian 'Cats

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Persian 'Cats
By Tom Cooper & Farzad Bishop
Sep 16, 2003, 03:01

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Iranian F-14-pilots were the ?lite of the Iranian Air Force (even if Iranian F-4 and F-5 pilots would certainly dispute this statement with some humor), and they proudly wore insignia identifying them as such. Although unit insignia was seldom seen, and never applied on the aircraft (except the TFB-number), patches like this were worn on flying overalls - and this even after the Islamic Revolution, in 1979. This specific patch is from the overall of a former IIAF/IRIAF F-14-pilot, who scored five kills against Iraqi fighters during the long war. (Tom Cooper collection)

In Service with the IIAF
Iran ordered a total of 80 Grumman F-14A Tomcats in two batches, one of 30 and another of 50 aircraft, in early 1974. The first F-14 was delivered to the Imperial Iranian Air Force (IIAF) in January 1976, and the first two units were fully operational by the summer of 1977, by when the training of additional crews was advancing at a very high pace.

By late 1978, the 80th F-14 produced to Iran was built as well; instead of being delivered, however, the aircraft was kept in the USA to be used as test-rig for installation of the USAF-style "boom-and-receptacle" in-flight refuelling system. Meanwhile, over 120 Iranian pilots and 80 RIOs were qualified for the Tomcat, and an additional group was about to finish their training.

Since 1977 the IIAF F-14s were engaged in a series of tests, which put the plane and its weapons system to the extremes, and eventually ended by several spectacular test-firings of AIM-54s, two of which might have scored unofficial world-records for the range, speed, and the height reached by the missiles in flight. In October 1978 also two IIAF F-14As intercepted a high and fast-flying Soviet MiG-25 over the Casspian sea, forcing it to abort a recce run over Iran, and in turn ending similar Soviet operations over the country.

The first F-14A built for Iran was used for a relatively short period of time by the IIAF before being put in storage, at Khatami AB, where it remained for a number of years. In 1981 the IRIAF refurbished the aircraft and brought it back into operational condition with the help of parts supplied clandestinely by the US government, and the aircraft was to participate in a number of air combats over the next several years.

This patch was developed in the USA for Iranian F-14-crews during the mid-1970s, but, considered "too unserious" it was never accepted "in service". Consequently, the number of examples made remained very low.

IRIAF - a new Air Force?
With the change of the regime in Iran, in February-April 1979, and worsening of relations to the USA, it was expected that Iran would not be able to operate its Tomcats any more. Such expectations were reinforced by rumors about the US personnel sabotaging aircraft before it was forced to leave the country.

By September 1980, however, the Iranian Air Force - re-named into "Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force" (IRIAF) - managed to make an increasing number of airframes operational, despite immense problems due to repeated purges of its officers, some of which were executed, others imprisoned, forced into exile or early retirement. The IRIAF survived these times and its Tomcats were to become involved in the bloody war against Iraq even before this officially began, scoring their first kill already on 9 September 1980.

This "IRIAF", namely, was still the "old" IIAF by everything but the name: a majority of its well-trained officers, pilots, and technical personnel, all of which were patriots beyond any doubt, remained with the service and were to give much more than anybody could describe as a "call of duty" in the following war.

3-6020 is the first F-14A known to have fired an AIM-54A against an Iraqi MiG-25: this engagement happened on 15 May 1981, and the Phoenix caused only slight damage in turn causing the Iraqi (or Soviet?) Foxbat-pilot to escape back towards his base at 2.800km/h.

This Tomcat is best known for having been used to shot down two Iraqi MiG-23 interceptors with a single AIM-54A missile, on 21 July 1982, in an engagement half-way between Baghdad and the Iranian border, after its crew ignored the order not to enter the Iraqi airspace at any cost.

The 3-6024 became famous already early in its career, while still in service with the IIAF: it was one of two Tomcats that intercepted a Soviet MiG-25RBS high over the Caspian Sea, in October 1978, and tracked it for two minutes as the Soviet pilot was giving his best to escape.

The 3-6027 is known to have been used early during the war, foremost by the detachment of the 72nd TFS (a unit otherwise equipped with F-4Ds from late 1980), deployed to Mehrabad AB, were a handful of Tomcats were stationed for use in training, testing and sometimes also for the defense of the Iranian capital.

This Tomcat was one of the several examples known to have changed the squadron during the war: while initially assigned to the TFB.7, after becoming one of the first F-14s to be completely overhauled in Iran, from 1986 it was assigned to the 81st TFS, and is known to have been used for downing of an Iraqi MiG-23, in January 1987. 3-6032 is shown with a war-load of two AIM-54As and four AIM-9Ps, a configuration frequently used when interceptions of such targets were expected, like MiG-25s, Tu-16s or Tu-22s. In such case, namely, the IRIAF crews tried to keep the weight of their aircraft low in order to save fuel needed for high-speed pursuit.

3-6039 was the F-14A used to shot down an Iraqi Mirage F.1EQ on 20 February 1987 by a single AIM-54A from a range of almost 150km. The Iraqi pilot, 1st Lt. Ahlan, did not survive the hit.

This Tomcat was seen on several photographs or observed by foreigners underway in Iran both before and after the revolution. On one occasion, in 1986, it was seen while taking-off for a combat air patrol from Tabriz airfield (TFB.2), in northern Iran, carrying a single AIM-54A, two Sparrows, and two Sidewinders.

Within the first six months of the war Iranian F-14s scored over 50 air-to-air victories, mainly against Iraqi MiG-21s and MiG-23s, but some also against Su-20/22s. In exchange, only a single F-14A was damaged - by debris from a MiG-21 that exploded in front of it.

The war between Iraq and Iran subsequently turned into a war of attrition, with lengthy breaks - used by both sides for reorganization and resupply of their military power - between short periods of extremely bitter and bloody fighting. Eventually, by the spring of 1982 the Iranians managed to throw Iraqi troops back to the international border, and from that time on Iran was in strategic offensive, which was eventually to last until the early 1988.

Not much is known about the combat service of 3-6052 either, except that it was originally assigned to the 73rd TFS, that it spent most of the war at Hor AB (TFB.7) near Shiraz, and that it was used for downing of at least one Iraqi MiG-25, in February 1986. Its final fate remains unknown.

Originally supplied to the 73rd TFS, based at Hor AB, the 3-6063 spent several years in storage before being made operational again, sometimes in the mid-1980s, and then was sent as a reinforcement to the detachment of the 72nd TFS, based at Mehrabad, where it was seen for the last time in 1987.

Between 1982 and 1986 Iranian Tomcats were to see use in a series of slowly-developing campaigns: mainly tasked with patrolling the skies over objects vital for the survival of Iranian regime and economy, like Tehran, or the Khark Island. Most of these patrols were supported by the fleet of Boeing 707-3J9C tankers, and quite some lasted as long as 10 hours, thanks to up to four successfive in-flight refuellings. Time and again they were involved in new air battles, and have scored heavily, but their main role was that of intimidating the Iraqi Air Force: scared by previous heavy losses in battles against Iranian F-14s, the Iraqis were avoiding any engagement with them, so that the sole presence of a Tomcat over the target area was enough to force hundreds of Iraqi formations to abort their attacks. Because of this, as well as because of the murderous precision and effectiveness of the Tomcat's AWG-9 weapons system and AIM-54A Phoenix long-range air-to-air missiles, it can be concluded that there was never before an air defence system that proved as effective in a war - especially not over such a lengthy period of time.

By 1987 the Iraqis have suffered such heavy losses to Iranian Tomcats that they were forced to find a solution with which they could engage them under more equal circumstances. Eventually, in early 1988 France managed to deliver a series of Mirage F.1EQ-6 fighters, equipped with Super 530D and Magic Mk.2 missiles, to Iraq: after a series of air battles through February, March, and May 1988, in which the Iraqis suffered additional heavy losses to IRIAF Tomcats, in July 1988 the new IrAF Mirages finally managed to shot two Iranian F-14s down in a single engagement.

Considering the circumstances under which the F-14s and their crews had to operate in Iran during the eight-years long war against Iraq - without any support from AWACS or AEW aircraft, without even a proper support from the GCI, against an enemy that was repeatedly introducing new and more capable fighters, radars, weapons and ECM-systems in combat and was supported by no less but three "superpowers" (USSR, France, and the USA), with their crews being permanently under heavy pressure from the regime in Tehran - it is actually a pure mirracle that an aircraft as complex as the Tomcat remained operational at all. That it proved as successful in combat, and is still the premier fighter in the Iranian Air Force, is a fact beyond what most of the observers world-wide are able to comprehend, but also a result of sternous efforts of IRIAF personnel and immense investment of the Iranian economy.

Iranian F-14 Tomcat Markings through the Time
Over the time the markings of Iranian Tomcats changed only in very few details.

In the 1970s the title IIAF was applied on the forward fuselage, bellow the cockpit, and the aircraft were serialled 3-6001 thru 3-6079. The so-called "TFB-number" - a small black 7 or 8 - was applied inside a circle applied on the fin, bellow the flash. The serials remained the same after the revolution, but the flash and the service title changed. The flash by application of the "Red Phoenix" emblem on the white field, as well as the white titles "Allahu Akbar" on the red and the green field; the service title was changed into IRIAF.

Above and bellow: Probably the most successful Tomcat in Iranian service is 3-6079, the last F-14 delivered to Iran (the 3-6080 was held back in the USA for testing purposes when the revolution in Iran swept the Shah from power, and never delivered). Initially after delivery the aircraft was put in storage, but then returned to service with the 82nd TFS in September 1980 ? still wearing the title ?IIAF? and without the national flag applied on the fin. Soon afterwards 3-6079 was used for downing of one Iraqi MiG-21 and a MiG-23.

Barely few months later, 3-6079 was seen wearing the title ?IRIAF?, but still no national flag on the fin: this appears to have been applied only sometimes in late 1981 or early 1982 on this aircraft.

The markings of 3-6079 were finally ?complete? by 9 February 1988, when it was used by 1st Lt. Qiyassi for downing three Iraqi Mirage F.1EQs during two subsequent engagements within two hours.