Iran's military looks to the sky as new priority

The Associated Press ^ | 12/01/2010

[sukhoi-30mki]

Iran's military looks to the sky as new priority

(AP) – 7 hours ago

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — In military maneuvers and air shows, Iran has been proudly touting advances in its air forces and defenses, including radar systems, anti-aircraft batteries and new attack and reconnaissance drones.

It's a sign of a new priority for Iran's military — trying to quickly bolster its ability to patrol its skies in the belief that U.S. or Israeli warplanes or missiles could strike its nuclear facilities.

But Iran's highly publicized unveilings of air systems in recent months — including an armed drone dubbed the "ambassador of death" — have not yet translated into any significant tactical gains for the Islamic Republic, defense analysts say.

For the most part, Iran's air attack capabilities still depend heavily on domestically modified versions of long-outdated warplanes, including former Soviet MiGs and American F14A Tomcats from the 1970s, and its anti-aircraft batteries and drones remain untested, the analysts say.

"What we see from Iran is a lot of show and a lot of talk, but nothing that comes close to being a game changer," said John Pike, director of the security analyst group globalsecurity.org based in Alexandria, Virginia.

Still, Iran clearly is trying to close security gaps around nuclear sites — including Iran's main uranium enrichment lab — and blunt the edge that the Pentagon and Israel gain from drone technology. Iranian commanders now view drones as a critical tool, including to monitor the U.S. 5th Fleet based across the Gulf in Bahrain.

The Americans have confirmed they've shot down an unspecified number of Iranian surveillance drones over Iraq. Iran, meanwhile, has boasted that its drones have taken reconnaissance photos of U.S. warships in the Gulf.

[sukhoi-30mki]

[yldstrk]

It’s a bird
It’s a plane
Oh no the desert is perfect place for an air attack......

[GonzoGOP]

For the most part, Iran's air attack capabilities still depend heavily on domestically modified versions of long-outdated warplanes, including former Soviet MiGs and American F14A Tomcats from the 1970s

The F-14 is still a darn good aircraft. But the question is how well maintained are they and above all else how good is the pilot. And old F-5 in the hands of a USAF aggressor squadron pilot who is mixing it up in simulated combat every day is far more dangerous than a SU-30MK piloted by some guy who gets two hours in the air a year and maintained by somebody picked for their religious fervor rather than mechanical aptitude.

[prophetic]

So while they are wanting to improve their air superiority with the ancient radars & fire controls system they are using in the heat of trying to sent up interceptors, the STUXNET worm suddenly displays the Atari 80’s version of SPACE INVADERS on their ground radar and their controllers totally freak out!!