Knights

IRIAF SU-24 FENCER

Sukhoi’s Su-24 Fencer remains

a key element of Iran’s air
power. Babak Taghvaee
describes the type’s career with
the Islamic Republic of Iran Air
Force

W ITHIN THE Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force

of Persia
(IRIAF), one aircraft type that has remained
active constantly over the last 30 years has been the
Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer. Since the dissolution of the
USSR in 1991, the US and Israel have tried to keep
Iran’s Fencer fleet firmly on the ground, convincing
Russia to pull support in training flight and ground
crews, and providing spare parts for maintenance.
As a result the fleet became toothless for a period of
years and the number of operational aircraft fell from
a pool of approximately 40 jets to just nine in 2002.
Also due to the inappropriate training and mainte-
nance, several fatal crashes occurred and four pilots
lost their lives in the 1990s. Most recently, though, the

Left: Fencers 3-6804 (front) and 3-6805

during a fuel dump to decrease the weight of
the aircraft for landing at Mehrabad after a
training fl ight in May 1993. Capt Taher-Khani via
Abdollah Begheri Ra’ad
Below: This Su-24MK, 3-6851, has been
brought up to operational status
recently, from storage in Shiraz.
It was one of the former Iraqi Air
Force jets and these tend to
be used for training with the
71st Training Squadron.
Babak Taghvaee

‘At the end of the

Iran-Iraq war in
1988, the IRIAF
had lost about
half its inventory
of jet fighters’

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 IRIAF has become much more self-sufficient and has
grown its own expertise in training and maintenance.

Fencer in
At the end of the Iran-Iraq war in 1988, the
IRIAF had lost about half its jet fighter inventory.
Before the war there had been nine fighter squad-
rons equipped with McDonnell Douglas F-4E and
F-4D Phantom IIs, but by 1988 there were just four.
A similar situation affected the Northrop F-5E Tiger II
fleet. Iran was still fearful of Iraq, as its air force had
become the fifth largest in the world both in power
and size. The IRIAF had around just 230 F-4E/Ds, F-5E/
Fs and F-14As, of which only about 60% were flyable.
Iran saw the USSR as its only chance for rebuilding its
military capabilities, and improved its relations with
the Soviet Union as soon as possible after the cease-
fire. In 1989 Iran signed an $800 million (£500 million)
contract for 12 Su-24MKs together with a variety of
air-to-ground and anti-radiation missiles and bombs
- for example 50 Kh-29Ls, 50 Kh-29Ts, 50 Kh-58Us, 12
‘Fantasmagorie A’ weapon pods, 50 Kh-25MLs, 20 Su-24MKs 3-6857 (front) and 3-6810 during an IRIAF exercise in August 2010 at Hamedan in western Iran. Two training round
KAB-1500Ls, 3 Sakhalyn UPAZ-1A air-to-air refuelling FAB-100 free-fall bombs are being carried by both aircraft. At the time 3-6857 was not fully mission capable. Babak Taghvaee
systems, and a series of iron bombs, gun pods and training and gunnery sorties. Ten pilots made live 1990 to Mehrabad air base in Tehran to form the 12th
rocket launchers all included in the agreement. R-60MK infrared-guided air-to-air missile launches Tactical Fighter Squadron (TFS). Russian military advi-
Thirty former F-4 and F-5 pilots were and most of them fired live Kh-25MLs during their sors and technicians came with them. The Sukhois
selected and sent to the USSR for familiarisation course. Iranian technicians - formerly were too big to fit in the concrete aircraft shelters that
pilot and gunnery training. on the F-4E and F-14A - spent six months training, had been used by F-4s before so they were parked in
Because of the unavailability although they were not allowed to learn anything the open. By that time half of the first group of Iranian
of any Su-24 simulator, about the aircraft’s electronic countermeasures, pilots had been trained as flight instructors so flying
they ‘flew’ an Su-22 sim- radar warning receiver or targeting systems. and gunnery training sorties began. A second batch
ulator before starting The first six Fencers were delivered in the summer of of six Fencers was delivered in 1991 and a last group

Iranian Fencer accidents

– the human factor
Human factors have been the main
reason
for IRIAF’s Su-24MK crashes. Two
accidents
in the first half of the 1990s were
the result
of pilots using their flaps incor
rectly, causing
them to stall and crash. In anot
her incident in
April 2008, the crew of an Su-24MK
broke the
landing gear after bouncing three
times down
the runway at Mehrabad. In the
most recent
accident, which was on April 10,
2011, an Su-
24MK struck the ground after rollin
g five times
during gunnery training. Both
crew ejected but
the pilot, Colonel Faghani, was
killed when his
K-36DM ejection seat malfunct
ioned.

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 IRIAF SU-24 FENCER

A gift from Iraq

In 1986, during the Iran-Iraq War, the Iraqi Air
Force (IrAF) sought to buy Su-24K fighter-
bombers from Russia, an export version of the
Su-24M. Two Su-24MKs were lent to Iraq for
evaluation and testing in 1986. Iraq decided
to buy 18 to replace its remaining airworthy
Tupolev Tu-16 and Tu-22 bombers and a deal
was signed in 1988. As with Iran, training of
future Iraqi Fencer pilots and ground crews
began in Russia and in June 1989 the first two
Su-24MKs were delivered to Al-Bakr air base,
north of Baghdad, to form No 8 Squadron.
By 1990 the IrAF had 18 Fencers with 8
Squadron and a plan to form a second
squadron (No.10) with 18 more Su-24MKs.
Seven more were delivered by the USSR before
the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, which caused
all military agreements with a number of
countries to be cancelled. Iraqi Su-24MK pilots
were not experienced in combat missions,
therefore they were kept far from the war.
On January 27, 1991, 25 Su-24MKs, 25 Su-22 of pilots graduated. Above: Two Su-24s - 3-6807 (front) and 3-6811 - are seen
Fitters of different variants together with seven during a formation flight in front of Mount Damavand, the
When the collapse of the USSR came in 1992, the highest peak in the Middle East at 18,536 feet (5,650m).
Su-25K Frogfoots were flown towards Iran to
new Russian government reneged on the military This image was taken in 1993 when the aircraft were in
join more than 70 other Iraqi aircraft that had service with the 12th TFS. Brigadier Goodarzi
agreements with Iran – the Russian technicians left
fled in the previous weeks. One (24635) had a
hydraulic system failure and its pilot aborted and training of Iranian mechanics stopped in 1993.
the mission; another (24631) lost its way, the Now the IRIAF was on its own.
crew exiting cloud inside a mountain range
near Kermanshah. The navigator ejected safely Transfer to Shiraz
but the pilot was killed when the jet hit a ridge. In February 1993, 30 fighter-bombers, together with
The rest arrived at Tactical Fighter Base (TFB) eight transport aircraft, took part in an air parade to
3 Hamadan (formerly Shahrokhi air base) in
celebrate the foundation of the IRIAF. Five Su-24MKs
northern Iran, but during landing one Su-24MK
(24652) had to divert to an emergency highway from the 12th TFS were among the flypast over Azadi
strip north-west of the air base due to a lack (former Shahyad) Square over Tehran. On landing
of fuel and received some minor damage. It back at Mehrabad airport one collided with Tupolev
remained under a camouflage net for more Tu-154M EP-ITD belonging to Iran Air Tours, which
than three weeks, finally being towed to was taking off. The Su-24 - 3-6802 piloted by Major
Hamadan by a truck where it was refurbished Hagh-Shenas was destroyed with the death of both
by Iranian technicians. Another jet (24648)
crew, together with the Tu-154 and 119 passengers
made a hard landing following a burst tyre on
landing and was severely damaged, eventually and 12 flight crew. An investigation criticised air traf-
being stripped for parts. fic control for permitting the Tu-154M pilot to take off.
Iraqi Fencers were the first escaped IrAF As a result the IRIAF HQ decided to transfer all of its
aircraft to enter service with the IRIAF after the 12th TFS Su-24MKs to TFB 7 Shiraz in southern Iran
commander in chief Brigadier General Mansour between October 1993 and March 1994.
Sattari gave the order in 1992. The airworthy The 12th TFS possessed 32 Su-24MKs, but four
Su-24MKs were flown to TFB 1 at Tehran while
were classified as NORS (Not Operational Ready for
24652, together with 24629 (its right wingtip
had been damaged in a collision with a wall on Supply) and had to be prepared for the ferry flight.
arrival) remained at TFB 3 for repairs. Shiraz was the second largest air base after TFB 1 at
Iraqi Fencers were not as advanced as the Mehrabad, with two long runways of over 4,000m
Iranian machines and were older – the IRIAF (13,000ft), four military ramps and 18 hardened air- Above: One of the few fully mission-capable Fencers
Su-24s had square-shaped wing fences that in 2011 was 3-6801. Square-shaped APP-161chaff/
craft shelters, although they were not big enough to flare dispensers are visible, indicating this aircraft is one
housed APP-161 chaff and flare dispensers, and house the Su-24MKs. acquired from the USSR. Babak Taghvaee
there were some differences in their naviga- Below: Su-24MK 3-6810 is equipped with a Sakhalyn UPAZ-
In September 1994, the first group of IRIAF Su-24MK 1A air-to-air refuelling pod – the Fencers are able to ‘buddy’
tional, self defence and armament systems.
instructor pilots graduated, including the first group refuel using this system. Babak Taghvaee

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 sent to USSR in 1989. The number of fully mission-ca-
pable Fencers was low due to the lack of maintenance
support from Russia, and the first group of technicians
were retiring at the age of 50. Squadron maintenance
responsibility was passed to a handful of low-skilled
technicians who had not been trained in Russia - they
only had a basic knowledge of the aircraft from a
familiarisation course. There was no expertise on the
KAYRA-24M low-light-level TV/IR sensor and laser
designator, or the SPO-10 and SPO-15 RWR systems.
By 1997 there were only two fully mission-capable
Above: This Su-24MK, 3-6856, has been upgraded to FMC status by the technical unit of the 72nd TFS. Maintenance
jets, which required a major overhaul along with the engineers worked with personnel from the IRIAF in 2010. It is equipped with a Kh-58U anti-radiation missile and
rest of the fleet. While this was going on Russia was Fantasmagorie A pod for an exercise at Tabriz in September 2011. Babak Taghvaee
Below: Using its twin parachute braking system is Su-24MK 3-6860, which was overhauled and modernised in 2010. It is
assuring Israel that these attack aircraft were not carrying AKU-58 launchers for Kh-59L air-to-surface missiles under the wing. Babak Taghvaee
dangerous, but the IRIAF had other ideas and was
preparing new technical orders, using information
from Kazakhstan and the Ukraine, to begin overhauls
of the aircraft type domestically.
The HQ of IRIAF commanded its deputy of logistic
support, deputy of self sufficiency and the 71st TFS
technical group to prepare for the overhaul of the
Su-24MKs. There was no suitable hangar at Shiraz
so it was decided to cut and modify three hardened
aircraft shelter roofs to enable a Fencer to be housed
in each one. Some systems were ‘westernised’, for
example the SRO-1P IFF transponder was adapted
to work with other IRIAF western-equipment aircraft.
In the early 2000s work was undertaken at Shiraz
to provide better accommodation for the Su-24MK
- two new parking aprons, nine concrete-protected
shelters and an ILS/SHORAN system for navigation.

‘The company began its

first indigenous overhaul in
2009, which was finished in
February 2012, the aircraft
being delivered back to its
unit that March’
Above: Fencer 3-6810 was one of two Su-24MKs seen carrying Sakhalyn UPAZ-1A air-to-air refuelling pods during Iran’s
military day air parade in April 2013. Babak Taghvaee By 2006 the IRIAF was able to overhaul two
Below: On April 18 the IRIAF participated in the military air parade with 21 aircraft - two Su-24MKs flew in a buddy Su-24MKs each year, but maintenance responsibil-
refuelling formation. Babak Taghvaee
Bottom: This former Iraqi Air Force Su-24MK, 3-6852, is now one of the FMC aircraft with the 72nd TFS. It was upgraded in ity was passed to Iranian Aircraft Industries (IACI),
2010 by TFB 7. Babak Taghvaee which requested help from Russia to bring the fleet
to Su-24M2 standard. An agreement was signed in
2007, according to which an overhaul facility inside
a hangar at Mehrabad would be constructed. But
sanctions imposed by Russian President Vladimir
Putin led to the project being cancelled in 2008. The
IACI is believed to have received help from Belarus, in
the form of spare parts and technical orders for main-
taining sensitive systems such as the defensive aids
system, electronic countermeasures and armament.
The company began its first indigenous overhaul

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 iriaf su-24 fencer

in 2009, which was finished in February 2012, the

aircraft being delivered back to its unit that March.
The Fencer was finished in ‘Asia Minor II’ camouflage
standard colour scheme (similar to the IRIAF’s F-4 and
F-5 fleet).
Meanwhile the first Shiraz-modernised Fencer was
3-6801 (c/n 4160652103116), rolled out in the sum-
mer of 2010 and returned to the 71st TFS in a new
four-tone camouflage pattern. It was the first fully
mission-capable (FMC) Su-24MK and was fitted with
a Kayra targeting system. A second aircraft was rolled
out in March 2011, followed by a third a year later.

Fully mission-capable Fencers

The first FMC Su-24MK, 3-6801, took part in an exer-
cise at TFB 3 Hamadan between August 1 and 7, 2010.
Fencer pilots bombed a dummy target at night with
FAB-500 dumb and KAB-500L laser-guided bombs.
In the spring of 2011, the IRIAF performed its first
successful live-fire of a Kh-58U (AS-11 Kilter) anti-ra-
diation missile against a simulated target near Shiraz.
Exercise ‘Modafeen-e-Harim-Velayat 3’ in September
that year saw five 72nd TFS FMC Su-24MKs deployed
to TFB 2 Tabriz in the far north of Iran, where the
Fencers practised air-to-air refuelling for the first time
in many years with IRIAF Boeing KC-707s (see Iran’s
Grandmothers, AFM October 2013). Two Su-24MKs equipped with PTB-3000 external fuel
This year the IRIAF received two more modernised tanks during a formation flight over Dezful air base in
western Iran. Babak Taghvaee
Su-24MKs from IACI and the TFB 7 overhaul centre
and at least four more will be delivered by March
2014. Two Iranian defence ministry-produced
KAB-1500L missiles were successfully fired from an
Su-24MK in October on the Semnan test range in the
centre of Iran.
The IRIAF HQ has increased flight and gunnery
training for the Fencer crews to increase combat
readiness. Last July five F-4Es from the 91st TFS
deployed to Shiraz to fly in joint gunnery training
with the Fencers from the 71st TFS. Two long-range
ground attack sorties were also conducted after air-
to-air refuelling from Shiraz to the Semnan missile
range. By end of 2016, at least 12 more Su-24MKs will
Above: Su-24MK 3-6801 has FAB-100 free-fall bombs fitted under its wings ready to participate in a night mission during be overhauled and modernised, bringing the
Exercise ‘Modafeen-e-Harim-Velayat 3’ in September 2011. Babak Taghvaee
Below: The Su-24s at Shiraz regularly train with similar vintage F-4E Phantom IIs of the IRIAF. Babak Taghvaee
fleet to around 24 operational aircraft. afm

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