Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force
| Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force | |
|---|---|
 Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force seal trim caption
|
|
| Active | 1925–present |
| Country |
 Iran |
| Type | Air force |
| Size | 37,000 (MEI 2011 estimate) |
| Part of |
 Artesh
|
| Garrison/HQ | Tehran |
| Nickname(s) |
Persian: تیزپروازان, Tizparvazan "Fastflyers" |
| Motto(s) |
Persian: بلند آسمان جایگاه من است "Skyhigh Is My Place" |
| Colors | Ultramarine Blue |
| March | 18 April |
| Mascot(s) | Eagle |
| Anniversaries | 8 February (Air Force Day) |
| Engagements | |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander |
Brig Gen. Hassan Shah-Safi |
| Insignia | |
| Roundel |  |
| Flag |  |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Attack | F-4D/E, Su-24MK, F-5E/F, Saeqeh |
| Electronic warfare |
RC-130, B707 Elint |
| Fighter | F-14A, MiG-29A/UB, Mirage F1, F-7M |
| Helicopter | CH-47, AB-206, AB-214, AS-61, Mi-17, AH-1J, RH-53D |
| Patrol | P-3F |
| Reconnaissance | RF-4E |
| Trainer | F-5A/B/Simorgh, PC-7, F33C, Fajr-3, FT-7 |
| Transport | C-130, IL-76, F27, B 747, B 707, Falcon 20, Falcon 50, JetStar, Y-12, PC-6, Socata TB. |
The Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF; Persian: نیروی هوایی ارتش جمهوری اسلامی ایران) is the aviation branch of the Islamic Republic of Iran Army. The present Air Force came into being in the early 1980s when the former Imperial Iranian Air Force was renamed.
The Air Force has attempted with some success to maintain in service the large number of American-built aircraft which Iran acquired during the Shah's regime. The Air Force has turned to purchases of Soviet and Chinese aircraft, as well as pressing ex-Iraqi aircraft into service, and indigenously built aircraft, in order to maintain a capable force. As of June 2016, the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force possesses 348 fighters, making it the ninth most powerful air arm in the world, on paper.
The IRIAF came into being when the former Imperial Iranian Air Force (IIAF) was renamed following the Islamic Revolution in Iran, in February 1979. The British publishing company Orbis' Warplane partwork magazine seems to indicate the renaming did not actually take place until after the Iran–Iraq War had broken out.
This "new" Iranian air force largely inherited the equipment and structure of the former IIAF, even losing most of its leading officers in the course of post-revolutionary chaos, as well as due to the prosecution of those considered as loyal to the Shah, pro-U.S. or elsewhere by the new government in Tehran.
Due to strained relations with the west, Iran had to procure new equipment from Brazil, Russia and the People's Republic of China. Since the Revolution, the exact composition of the IRIAF is hard to determine, but estimates do exist. Many aircraft belonging to the Iraqi Air Force took refuge in Iran during the Persian Gulf War in 1991, and many were put into service with the IRIAF or taken apart for spare parts.
Due to the continuous spare parts shortages faced by the air force, a decision was made in the late 1980s to develop a local aerospace industry to support the air force.
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Wikipedia