Warbird Information Exchange

Tom, the MAP/FSM aircraft come under DoD guidelines where the donee country and sales are concerned. I think it really depends how the purchase was funded. Were they gifted to the donee or were they an outright sale of excess assets ? Some of these are DoD transfers with small amouts changing hands or in the case of new aircraft did FMS actually pay the manufacturer for them ?

When a country gets permission to negotiate directly with a manufacturer the rules change. They actually buy the aircraft directly on their own accord. The only reason DoD and State Dept. get involved is because the selling company must get permission to export the technology/weapons outside CONUS.

The Shah bought 79 of the F-14s new. . Some of the C-130s, F-4s, and F-5s may have come from existing US stocks.(The financial assistance programs were terminated after 1969, when it was determined that Iran, by then an important oil exporter, could assume its own military costs. Thereafter, Iran paid cash for its arms purchases and covered the expenses of United States military personnel serving in the ARMISH-MAAG and TAFT programs.)

The Iranians are under pretty strict intl scrutiny and the US has embargos that would prohibit a US citizen to do business with them. If you could get one out you would have to get State Dept approval to bring it into the country. Pretty much the same scenario as getting aircraft from Viet Nam into the country.

There isn't much reliable info about the current validity of the F-14s. Some say they were heavily canabilized to keep othhers flying, same thing for the F-4s but some parts have been found to have come from NATO spares and smuggling. Some parts were quietly delivered when the Iran-Iraq War was being fought. ( The enemy of my enemy is my friend, type of rot )

The following comes from a couple of news sources:

(Iran news - A federal grand jury indicted an Iranian man Thursday on charges he tried to export almost $800,000 worth of F-14 Tomcat fighter jet parts to Iran, a country considered by the U.S. government to be a sponsor of terrorism. The United States sold Iran dozens of F-14s during the 1970s. Since the shah's overthrow, Iran has had difficulty maintaining the planes because of a lack of spare parts, and the planes are rarely flown.)

Hope this helps its a pretty tangled web all round.

Only because you brought up the Iranians, I am going to post the picture below. This was taken by my father back in the late 70's when when we lived in Iran. We ended up leaving the country with what we could carry about a week before the hostages were taken at the Ebassy. However, while we were there and the Shah was still in power, my father was the only person in the country (Iranian or American) that was given permission to take aerial or the Shahyad monument (pictured) by the Shah himself. This is because the "secret" airbase where the F-14's and F-4 were based was very close to this monument and could actually be seen from the top of the monument (that's why no cameras were allowed on top of the monument). This particular photo shows one of the IIAF's AH-1 Cobra's flying in front of the monument. As they flew around the monument, he "accidentally" took a similar picture but in the background is the airbase. I believe that picture when to some "friends" at the "cultural attache" at the US Embasy.

Hi
Any chance you could shar that Arial picture of the Cobra in Shahyas squer. I do collect all IIAF pre 1979 images and photo's, I love the history and past what was once a great nation.
thanks
Ali

Not the case with the F-16's. The US has final word on their disposition. They can't be sold without US approval.

_________________
Magister Aviation
It's all in my book

How did Paul Allen get his F-105?

_________________
Chris Henry
EAA Aviation Museum Manager