Dassault Mirage F1EQ & BQ in Iranian service

F.L.

F.L.

ACCESS: Top Secret
Joined
21 September 2022
Messages
1,279
Reaction score
1,734
Website
twitter.com
Does anyone have pictures of Iranian Mirage F1EQ/BQ armed with missile ? Is the Chinese PL-7 missile compatible with the F1 Magics launcher ? The only picture I could find shows an IRIAF F1 armed with AIM-9J (I think). AIM-9J.jpg
 
Last edited:
The only pictures I could find were with the classic Matra Magic. For example...
 

Attachments

  • aafd34ddeff943368688b8aa8b63db9c.jpg
    aafd34ddeff943368688b8aa8b63db9c.jpg
    50.3 KB · Views: 122
  • heros-bagdad-mirage-F1-irakien.jpg
    heros-bagdad-mirage-F1-irakien.jpg
    79 KB · Views: 142
Thank you very much, but the second image shows an Iraqi (not Iranian) F1EQ that made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia after being hit by an AIM-7E fired by an Iranian F-14A.
And what is the source of the first one ? & I don't see a roundel on this F1.
 
Last edited:
It does not look very shot down, what happened there?
 
F.L. said:
Thank you very much, but the second image shows an Iraqi (not Iranian) F1EQ that has just been shot down by an F-14 missile. And what is the source of the first one ? & I don't see a roundel on this F1.
Click to expand...
My bad I've read "F1EQ" and assumed Iraqi. First picture is an Iraki F1 during testing before delivery.

The source:

Guerre Iran/Irak, quelques rapports et photos

www.air-defense.net www.air-defense.net
 
Ok, thank you.
I hope nevertheless that the F1EQ of the IRIAF were already seen armed with missile !!!
 
Last edited:
I cite Tom Cooper :
"The photo in this post shows a Mirage F.1EQ-5 of the Iraqi Air Force (IrAF), serial number 4569. It was involved in (another of several) air raid on the Farsi Island – a little rock in the middle of the Persian Gulf – suffered combat damage, and was forced to land at Dhahran AB, in eastern Saudi Arabia, in 1988, where this photo was taken – after the Mirage was stopped with help of a flexible barrier, at the end of the runway."

Not shooted down but hit & damaged.
 
Last edited:
Does anyone know what kind of missiles these launchers are used for ? AIM-9Js or Magics ?
 

Attachments

  • 1595580.jpg
    1595580.jpg
    129.7 KB · Views: 94
  • 1779721.jpg
    1779721.jpg
    116.8 KB · Views: 89
Last edited:
I don't think there is a wikipedia file for each type of missile launcher. & I did not find on google for which type of missile these launchers are used.
I don't know if I asked my question correctly :

I'm looking to know if these launchers visible on these IRIAF F1 are used for Sidewinder (which variant of the AIM-9?), Magic, PL-7 or another type of missile ?
 
Last edited:
Old but interesting articles on the subject :
www.tasnimnews.com

Iranian Air Force Successfully Overhauls Mirage Aircraft - Defense news - Tasnim News Agency | Tasnim News Agency

TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The Islamic Republic of Iran’s Air Force (IRIAF) successfully carried out the overhaul of two Mirage F-1 fighter aircraft.
www.tasnimnews.com www.tasnimnews.com
defens-aero.com

L'Iran a développé un simulateur pour ses Mirage F1 - Defens'Aero

Au cours d'une cérémonie organisée le Mardi 08 Avril, la Force Aérienne de la République Islamique d'Iran, en compagnie du Général de Brigade Hassan Shahsafi, a dévoilé son premier simulateur pour les Mirage F1. Ce simulateur a été développé et construit...
defens-aero.com defens-aero.com
www.tasnimnews.com

Iranian Mirage Jets Equipped with Homegrown Radars, Weaponry: Commander - Politics news - Tasnim News Agency

TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Deputy commander of the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF) Brigadier General Hamid Vahedi said the country’s Mirage fighter jets have been equipped with domestically made radars and weaponry.
www.tasnimnews.com www.tasnimnews.com
 
Last edited:
IRIAF has Kh-29s for its Su-24s. I wonder if they tried to use them on the F1EQ like the Iraqis did. Iraqi Mirage F1 with Kh-29 (late 1980's).jpg
 
Last edited:
I've only run across one other image showing an IRIAF MIrage F1EQ fitted with AIM-9s (see below).

Sadly the only frequently confirmed payload of the IRIAF's Mirages are repurposed (or newly built) F-5 fuel tanks (I believe holding some 275 gal each). Whether this is deliberate or something much more depressing is anyone's guess...

There's always been chatter and assumptions that they could be fitted with the Matra Magic-inspired/based PL-7s we know the IRIAF has but oddly the only aircraft besides the F-7 spotted carrying them is a F-5E and almost certainly just a test.
 

Attachments

  • F1 w AIM-9.jpg
    F1 w AIM-9.jpg
    52.3 KB · Views: 38
  • 3-6405 (2014).jpg
    3-6405 (2014).jpg
    325 KB · Views: 32
Speaking more generally, Mirage F1s in IRIAF have almost certainly gone through more paint scheme changes than any other aircraft their inventory. They stayed in their original Iraqi-colors for more than a decade, then various greys and blues and most recently (2021-now), a rather bold choice of green and blue...
 

Attachments

  • 3-6202 (May 2022).jpg
    3-6202 (May 2022).jpg
    1.3 MB · Views: 39
  • 3-6406 (Sep 2022).jpg
    3-6406 (Sep 2022).jpg
    582.7 KB · Views: 37
Last edited:
I had heard that Iranian Mirage F1s are used as aggressors.
Perhaps this explains why they are rarely used with weapons.
 

Attachments

  • IMG17063747.jpg
    IMG17063747.jpg
    75 KB · Views: 23
Last edited:
F.L. said:
I just found a photo from August 2014 showing an F1BQ equipped with a PL-7, during a visit of
president Hassan Rouhani.

View attachment 721256View attachment 721257
www.uskowioniran.com

Rouhani unveils IAIO achievements at IRI defense capabilities exhibition

IRI President Rouhani recently unveiled four new defense achievements by the Iran Aviation Industries Organization at a defense capabiliti...
www.uskowioniran.com www.uskowioniran.com
Click to expand...
Great catch! It was generally a safe bet the PL-7s would be compatible.

I'm personally more interested if the IRIAF has ever (successfully) allocated funding/resources to integrate any of Iran's various AshMs with the Mirage F1s since there isn't much available in terms of BVR missile/Super 530 replacements.
 
Last edited:
Eagle2009 said:
Great catch! It was generally a safe bet the PL-7s would be compatible.

I'm personally more interested if the IRIAF was ever (successfully) allocated funding/resources to integrate any of Iran's various AshMs with the Mirage F1s since there isn't much available in terms of BVR missile/Super 530 replacements.
Click to expand...
The Iranians have reported several times to have integrated different types of missiles on F1s, but there have never been any published photos.
Given the rarity of photos with PL-7s, it seems possible to me that these weapons nevertheless exist on F1s.
 

Attachments

  • 1293557_666.jpg
    1293557_666.jpg
    77.9 KB · Views: 12
Last edited:
I am researching about the Iranian Mirage F1BQs (twin-seat) and have not been able to find photos of the following airframes : 3-6401, & 3-6404,
Has anybody ever seen any ?

If I've understood correctly, 7 Mirage F1BQs are in Iran, and the fact that the highest number I can find is 3-6407 seems to prove it.
 
Last edited:
Also, I have not been able to find photos of the following F1EQ (single-seat) :
3-6201, 3-6203, 3-6204, 3-6206, 3-6207, 3-6208.

That's 6 F1EQs out of the 15 that Iran is supposed to have.
So far, I only have visual evidence for 9 F1EQs and 5 F1BQs, for a total of 13 airframes.
 
Last edited:
Well I've got pictures of some of those tails at least: 3-6402 (BQ), 3-6211 (EQ)

But for some reason, I'm just getting "A server error occurred" messages when I try to attach the pictures....

EDIT: Not sure what the issue was but got them attached now.
 

Attachments

  • 3-6211 (2).jpg
    3-6211 (2).jpg
    201.9 KB · Views: 7
  • 3-6211.jpg
    3-6211.jpg
    156.9 KB · Views: 7
  • 3-6402 (2017).jpg
    3-6402 (2017).jpg
    530.8 KB · Views: 9
Last edited:
F.L. said:
And also this model showing a F1EQ with many weapons, notably laser guided bombs, Fakour-90, PL-7, Nasr anti-ship missile & AGM-84 under the wings !!!
View attachment 722194
https://twitter.com/x/status/1666405858912399360
View: https://twitter.com/HamzPadale/status/1666405858912399360
Click to expand...
Great finds F.L., though i just can't see the iranian Mirage F1s being able to guide the 150km range Fakkour on their own even if they might have a new radar (which can only be a derivative of the Bayyenat from F-4 Dowran and F-5 Kowsar). Though i guess it's possible for the Fakkour to be carried and launched by the F1, but the missile itself being guided by an F-14AM.

But indeed, a lower hanging fruit is the PL-7 or iranian AIM-9 derivatives on the wingtips and various antiship missiles under the wing, thus bringing an important boost to iranian capabilities in this regard, at a comparatively lower cost.
 
Last edited:

Similar threads

Back
Top Bottom