Iran Military Forum

There are some misunderstanding here. Some here have already jumped to conclusion as to the problem was the age of the F-14 that crashed. We have no reports yet and not even a reliable photo, I am surprised of IMF members who should be far more analytic in their military affairs than I see here among even some old timers.

My conclusion is that most people here as members read only headlines of thousands of posts here and then are quick to extend an opinion without any depth of knowledge just because they can. Disappointing to say the least!  I think it is a waste of my time to keep writing why a new jetfighter for Iran is out of question for the short term.

Any way, this aircraft was equipped with two TF-30 engines and two experienced pilots as all the IRIAF F-14 are. I do not know the details but the history tells me IRIAF pilots would have done their best to save their ships. The both killed pilots tell me that whatever happened was very sudden, no time even to eject. This is not normally a scenario of a technical problems we have seen in IRIAF history. My hunch tells me pilot error must have been a culprit not a technical issue. Something was done, such as making a wrong turn that left no time for anything, a split of a second disaster. If the reports are correct, it was not an explosion on board as rare as it may be. I am hoping Folcrum Pilot may enlighten us with some details as he always does.

For those who do not refer to memory  before they write serious comments, such accidents happen all the time even in the best of Air Forces equipped with the best and the latest parts for their aircrafts. US Navy has several of its aircrafts lost in the Persian Gulf alone, imagine their world record. If anyone reads Air Force International they know the monthly toll of US Air Force.

In fact, Iranian air force losses must be amongst the lowest in the world armed forces. The dedication in IRIAF pilots and their training and their ground support technicians have made this possible.

Catsoo