Iranian F-4 Down In Oman Sea Two Pilots On Board "Martyred"
An Iranian Air Force F-4 Phantom
crashed into the Oman Sea early Monday, killing both pilots
onboard.
The 1960s-era vintage fighter crashed off Iran's southeastern
coast, near the port of Konarak. The cause of the accident is still
unknown, reports the semi-official Fars news agency.
In a release to Iran's state-run IRNA news agency, military
officials confirmed "both pilots ... were martyred."
The belligerent Islamic republic is taking steps to update its
air force, currently comprised of US-made F-14s Tomcats, F-4s and
F-5 Tigers. Those aircraft were sold to Iran in the 1970s, during
the pro-Western rule of Shah Reza Pahlavi. When Islamic rulers took
over in 1979, the US cut off the flow of spare parts for those
planes.
As a result, Iran has reportedly turned to Russia and China for
warplanes. Though no one will officially comment, it is widely
reported in Israeli and Russian media Iran plans to
order a mix of Sukhoi Su-30s, and China's new Chengdu J-10 fighter
planes to replace obsolete US-made aircraft.
The country also hopes to puts its own light fighter into
operational service soon. The Saegheh -- or "lightning" -- appears
to be based heavily on the Northrop F- 5 -- though equipped with
twin tails -- and recently entered
production.
FMI:
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