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    Iran Air Force (IRIAF) | News and Discussions

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    yavar


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    Post  yavar Sat Nov 03, 2018 11:14 am

    nomadski
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    Post  nomadski Sat Nov 03, 2018 1:43 pm

    Production has started on time . As it was supposed to be . At a critical time . The manufacturing companies that produce parts , must move all their operations into secret underground bunkers . Safe from air attack . This plane can be used in the fighter role against latest  enemy fighter jets . Provided the body is converted and made from low RCS composites . Copying piece for piece . Every component . Keeping engines and avionics the same . Keeping external payload and hard points . But making all external stores from low RCS materials . This will mean keeping the old design in almost every way . But changing materials . External payload far more practical also . Keeps plane cross section and drag small .

    Use this plane with longer range air to air missiles . The new Fakoor . Do not engage enemy fighter in turning dog fight , using CIWS or cannon . Cost per plane is 15 million USD .  Use in two to one ratio against F35 . Or F22 . We may not be able to make thousands like the yanks . But the yanks can not loose thousands of pilots . A few hundred dead yank pilots . And we have won the air war .

    Death to America
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    Post  Tsavo Lion Sat Nov 03, 2018 4:08 pm

    With S-300/400, most of them will refuse to fly or be shot down from the ground. Fighter aces in the ME r a thing of the past.
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    Post  nomadski Sat Nov 03, 2018 4:41 pm


    Well fighter aces in ME are rare . Air wars on large scale are a product of European conflics . All major air forces train for dog fights . Iranians should too . SAM have uses . They can also be jammed . So a pilot on a seat is still one of the best ways to cover the weak points of SAM defence .
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    Post  ATLASCUB Sat Nov 03, 2018 5:30 pm

    yavar wrote:

    This puts a lot of speculation and doubt to bed about Iranian capabilities and intentions with this aircraft.

    Seems like it will be a slow process churning out numbers but good for them that they can get this started.

    Lol first "Death to America" that I see in this forum...
    Tsavo Lion
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    Post  Tsavo Lion Sat Nov 03, 2018 7:25 pm

    The Israelis, Arabs, Iranians & Pakistanis together had many aces: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lists_of_flying_aces_in_Arab%E2%80%93Israeli_wars
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Iranian_flying_aces
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Iran%E2%80%93Iraq_War_flying_aces   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Pakistani_flying_aces

    It's funny they r as a basing it on the US designed F-5 & call it their own, just like China with J-11/-15! At least India, Turkey, Korea & Japan develop their own fighters from a clean sheet!
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    Iran Air Force (IRIAF) | News and Discussions - Page 6 Empty Re: Iran Air Force (IRIAF) | News and Discussions

    Post  medo Sat Nov 03, 2018 10:23 pm

    I don't think Iranians said that Kowsar is iranian design. They know, it is developed from US F-5E/F fighter jets. When they said their own and domestic jet it have a meaning, that it is completely produced in Iran and thatn they don't need to import any part for it. Kowsar is immune for sanctions as all part are produced in Iran from engines to electronics. Regarding electronics, I think Iran receive helping hand from Russia as caracteristics and radar antena well remind on Kopye radar for MiG-21 and have very similar caracteristics to EL/M-2032, which Israel install in upgraded F-5 jets. Maybe Russia also help with data link, RWR sensors, etc. Only thing I miss is fixed IFR probe like many other F-5E/F have. Good thing is, that this plane is simple design for cheap and mass production, so iran could produce them in big numbers quite quickly for IRIAF and Syrian AF. Kowsar could be a good option for future Novorussian air force as well, as they will not be able to buy any larger number of expensive MiG-35 or Su-30SM fighters. But they could buy a squadron of Su-30SM and few regiments of Kowsars.

    Anyway good move for Iran, they finally get new build planes. I hope they will install additional pylons under air intakes for targeting pod and ECM pod.
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    Post  Tsavo Lion Sun Nov 04, 2018 12:01 am

    Local media also reported that the plane was a fourth-generation fighter jet that had been designed and manufactured solely by Iranian military experts.
    However, international aviation experts have been quick to cast doubt on the claim of pure Iranian technology and have suggested that the design is that of the U.S.-made F-5F jet, first built in the early 1970s. Tehran purchased F-5s from America in 1974, five years before the Iranian revolution.
    https://www.cnbc.com/2018/08/22/military-experts-say-irans-new-fighter-jet-is-actually-a-us-plane-from-the-1970s.html

    The Novorussians could get Yak-130 instead from Mother Russia, even though its performance is most probably below of this Iranian fighter. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yakovlev_Yak-130
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northrop_F-5#Specifications_(F-5E_Tiger_II)
    https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/iran%E2%80%99s-new-fighter-jet-isn%E2%80%99t-new-all-there-more-story-29722

    But who will finance "the future Novorussian air force", if it appears? The impoverished region will rely on the RFAF.
    medo
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    Post  medo Sun Nov 04, 2018 11:22 am

    F-14, F-15 and F-16 are also from seventies and are fourth gen jets. We all know, that Kowsar is made from F-5F jet. But it is fully domestically produced and have modern electronics inside. True, we do not know, how much improvements have domestic Owj engine comparing to original J85 engine, but with russian help they could increase trust, lower full consuption and maybe even install FADEC. Iran said years ago, that Saegheh radar is based on Phazotron radar and its capabilities are similar to Kopyo-M radar. This radar have similar capabilities to FIAR Grifo, EL/M-2032 and KLJ-7 radars. EL/M-2032 radar is installed in new Tejas and FA-50 combat jets and KLJ-7 is installed in new JF-17 combat jets. By capabilities, Kowsar is quite comparable with Tejas, JF-17 and FA-50 light combat jets.
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    Post  Isos Sun Nov 04, 2018 1:21 pm

    medo wrote:F-14, F-15 and F-16 are also from seventies and are fourth gen jets. We all know, that Kowsar is made from F-5F jet. But it is fully domestically produced and have modern electronics inside. True, we do not know, how much improvements have domestic Owj engine comparing to original J85 engine, but with russian help they could increase trust, lower full consuption and maybe even install FADEC. Iran said years ago, that Saegheh radar is based on Phazotron radar and its capabilities are similar to Kopyo-M radar. This radar have similar capabilities to FIAR Grifo, EL/M-2032 and KLJ-7 radars. EL/M-2032 radar is installed in new Tejas and FA-50 combat jets and KLJ-7 is installed in new JF-17 combat jets. By capabilities, Kowsar is quite comparable with Tejas, JF-17 and FA-50 light combat jets.

    They have to fight f-?? Series from US and israel.

    I wouldn't say they have as modern tech as what you find in US or russia. Even chinese tech is not on pair with them, let alone iran that has access to nothing. Radar is not the only thing that matters. The plane is very small. It will be an easy target for israel and US. For domestical role, it's not bad unless if the engines are shit.

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    Post  nomadski Sun Nov 04, 2018 3:32 pm

    Thank you savo lion for update . I was speaking relative terms I don't know how much air time Iranian pilots get . Or if there is special dog fighting school . Like in America . But modern simulators they have . This is good start .

    Isos , I think even the metal version of this plane can be hard target for any enemy fighter to hit . Iran can fly radar / anti radar drone in formation . Guide missile fired by plane . So drone is sacrificial . Enemy radar will be spooked . Also Iran is making smart missiles that may use various sensors . Including IR sensors .

    So this plane can provide a good addition in air to air role . And supplements the SAM . With added advantage of a mobile platform with even bigger range .

    Joint project with Russia is good . Provided they have money to spare . And still can make domestic bigger engines .
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    Post  GarryB Tue Nov 06, 2018 5:41 am


    Lol first "Death to America" that I see in this forum...

    Yes, totally irrational of an Iranian to dislike the last super power that is using its military and economic and political might to overthrow Irans government (again) and steal their resources (again)... I mean being told what to think and who to elect is what everyone wants... you are from europe... you know what I mean... the EU is jumping to washingtons tune... they know the rules... don't think for yourself, you are not allowed your own interests... just do what America wants you to do... be a good little european poodle.
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    Post  nomadski Fri Feb 08, 2019 5:15 pm


    Two points I want to make about new KOWSAR fighter . First point about modifications to existing plane for air to air combat . If deployed in numerical superiority , and with good training , then this plane has in my view a good chance of stopping enemy fighters . At the moment there are two nose mounted 20 mm cannon . If I am right . With unknown rate of fire . And ammo store . I think that this is probably not enough to secure a hit against enemy fighter . A higher rate of fire is needed . Something like 100 rounds per second , from a Gatling gun . Also calibre needs to be smaller . Say 0.303 or 0.5 inch . Against soft skinned plane . Second point is use of modern materials to armour fuel tank and engine , against similar rounds or shrapnel from missiles . Fuel tanks should not be fully loaded and plane used over friendly ground , with ground support and point defence . This arrangement should be kept , even for more advanced and longer range versions . Ammo stored should allow a sustained fire of several seconds . Allowing for multiple engagements .
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    Post  GarryB Sat Feb 09, 2019 1:50 am

    20mm would be the minimum calibre you would want in a modern aircraft for shooting at anything at all... even just aircraft made of unarmoured sheet metal can be bullet proof from rifle calibre machine gun rounds at distances of more than 800m from some angles.

    The even with a clean hit a rifle calibre machine gun would just punch a tiny hole through an aircraft structure, so you would need literally thousands of hits to reliably get a kill... just after WWII US aircraft were still fitted with 50 cal HMGs which relied on multiple hits to bring down light targets... when it got to Korea however at jet speeds they were poor choices for armament and the US actually decided to go for 20mm cannon.

    The Soviets had already realised, with rather more air combat experience, that cannon was the better solution and used 23mm cannon for use against enemy fighters and 37mm cannon for use against enemy bombers and other large aircraft.

    Not a strict rule of course they could use either or both against any target they chose in combat and often did.

    The point is that 20mm is probably the bare minimum calibre and a 23mm round would probably be rather better.

    Ironically I would say the Russian twin barrel 23mm guns are better than the US six barrel gatling guns.

    In combat long bursts of fire are not practical as it burns through ammo to quickly, and with short bursts the US gatlings are electrically powered and take half a second to wind up to full speed. With most bursts lasting less than half a second they don't really reach peak rate of fire.

    Twin barrel guns fire at cyclic rate from the first round and are smaller and lighter but fire a heavier projectile that would have rather more effect on target than the lighter faster moving US rounds.
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    Post  nomadski Sat Feb 09, 2019 11:01 am

    Thanks for nice reply . During WW2 ,  the average fighter had six to eight guns . Each with about 300 rounds of say 0.303 . Engagement times  were longer , but distances were shorter . Generally I would say that aircraft themselves were roughly  made of the same stuff . And  suffered similar damage to rounds . Now eight guns put out about 100 rounds per second . And assuming a two second burst , then about two hundred rounds were discharged . At about 500 meters . Even with this rate , the aircraft was not hit , on many occassion .

    Now with two guns.  Firing bigger  round . You get twenty rounds per second .  Engagement time of half a second , for fast jet . You get ten rounds . At about 800 to 1000 meters . So even if  rounds do greater damage , they are less likely to hit the target .  I think this later quality is important .  If we could combine the high rate of fire , with penetrating quality of heavier round . This would be best . I think smaller round can be modified to be heavier , and  become armour  piercing .  The technical problem of slow start of Gatling , is easy to overcome . You simply  put it in revolve mode , without  actual firing . Or have pneumatic  assist .  Space consideration is in favour of one compact Gatling  , than eight single guns .  So make the rounds heavier , redesign an instant start , but keep the Gatling .

    On point defence , ground support can put out blinding flares , that work day and night . These can be timed to work with protective visors  for friendly pilots . Closing in time for pulses of light . While enemy pilot is blinded . Like deep sea fish  .


    Last edited by nomadski on Sat Feb 09, 2019 11:11 am; edited 1 time in total
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    Post  GarryB Sat Feb 09, 2019 8:28 pm

    Tony Williams has a rather good book called Rapid Fire, in which he examines aircraft mounted automatic guns.

    Very simply most countries started WWII with rifle calibre machine guns but heavier aircraft construction and higher air speeds meant these weapons became ineffectual fairly quickly... a bit like the 37mm anti tank guns at the start of the war.

    20mm cannons were vastly superior to any rifle calibre machine gun weapon and were adopted widely... the Germans, the British, the Soviets... the main exception was the Americans and that was largely because their 20mm cannon were rubbish, so they kept putting 6-8 HMGs in their wings to the end of the war and beyond.

    You can read about Sabre pilots in the Korean war hitting MiG-15s with long bursts... actually getting long burst hits and the MiGs not going down, while a short burst and only a few hits from the 23mm cannons of the MiGs would bring down a Sabre or US bomber... often a single hit from the 37mm gun would destroy the american aircraft.

    Your numbers for guns are amusing... the Polikarpov I-16 at the start of the war armed with two Shkas 7.62mm MGs and two 20mm Shvak cannon was better armed than most US planes at the end of the war... Shkas fired at 1,800 rpm in the early model and about 2,700 rpm in the later M model.

    The problem was, as I said before, a hit from a 12.7mm calibre round resulted in a small hole punched through the aircraft... you needed to be very lucky to get a kill with a few hits.

    With a 20mm or larger calibre round hit the round explodes and spreads the damage and can ignite fuel etc.

    And the GSh-23 fires at 3,000 rpm and weighs 51kgs... and it fires at that rate from the first round unlike a gatling gun, and also does not need a separate electric motor to power it... it is vastly superior to US gatling guns for aircraft... and more accurate too because the barrels don't move.

    The muzzle velocity is low, but that is because it uses a very heavy projectile with a rather effective HE payload... if you swapped it for a light projectile like the US 20mm cannon shell its muzzle velocity would be even better... but shooting at small elusive targets is not made easier with high velocity shells that simply punch small holes in the target.

    The 30mm gun of the MiG-29 is probably the most effective aircraft mounted cannon for air to air combat.

    Using optics and radar and a laser range finder, the fire control system of the aircraft controls the gun... the pilot just selects the air target and pulls the trigger to fire the gun and then manouvers his aircraft to place the aim point on the enemy aircraft... when the computer calculates it will get a hit it fires the gun and based on the target type it selects the number of shells fired in real time. A short burst for an enemy fighter and a longer burst for a small target like a drone or cruise missile.

    It is famously known that during testing the computer was automatically only firing 4-7 rounds but the targets were still being destroyed... the project manager was reported to say if he had known the gun was going to be so accurate he would have halved the number of rounds carried... (originally something like 150 rounds and later 100 rounds).
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    Post  nomadski Mon Feb 11, 2019 5:30 pm

    Thanks for reply . I guess past experience is important and weapon designers and purchases must take into account past performance . In this respect , reliable data is needed from actual air combat kills using guns . By various modern jets . Problem is that apart from Korea and Vietnam , there is very little reliable data from jet on jet , dog fights and kills by guns . We should  therefore carry out tests , by using different guns by real pilots against target drones . This , short of actual combat , would give most reliable answers .

    On automated radar or IR guns , I must say that , this of course will improve performance . But in a hostile electronic environment , such as radar jamming or IR counter measures or EMP . Then pilot must be able to shoot in old fashion way . And must practice for it .  I think you would agree , that modern pilots need to be able to use guns in dog fights . And must train for them . In case of all else failing  . The modern materials for jet body must be known . And factored in  , when installing guns . I think we pay more attention to armour on a personnel carrier , in designing our guns . But do we really think about aircraft body , when we install guns ?  I heard that  the F22 body , in part was made of paper / resin mix . In places . Now paper , used to be used as  body armour  ,  in the days of old !

    The British have just announced that drone swarms will be used to suppress enemy air defences . They will most probably mimic bigger aircraft  in RCS and signals , and put out ECM  . So a pilot has to go up and shoot each one . Cheaply . So in this case small calibre high volume fire  is needed .  Saving SAM for  bigger fish later . Alternatively a drone could be used for close air to air  . Using data link . But that may be a few years in the future .
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    Post  GarryB Tue Feb 12, 2019 9:46 am

    Thanks for reply . I guess past experience is important and weapon designers and purchases must take into account past performance . In this respect , reliable data is needed from actual air combat kills using guns . By various modern jets . Problem is that apart from Korea and Vietnam , there is very little reliable data from jet on jet , dog fights and kills by guns . We should therefore carry out tests , by using different guns by real pilots against target drones . This , short of actual combat , would give most reliable answers .

    Totally agree.

    Aircraft gun design isn't just a case of making the guns lighter and faster firing and x level of accuracy at y range.

    The Soviets in particular have a range of weapon options for different purposes for the role of bringing down enemy targets and shooting at targets on the ground.

    Their current solution for most fighters is a single barrel 30mm cannon for air to air use... it is very compact and very light and with a good rate of fire and muzzle velocity but also with a good heavy HE projectile able to do serious damage to most types of aircraft.

    The MiG-31, being a specialised aircraft has a specialised gun, a 23mm gatling gun with a ridiculous rate of fire (between 10 and 12 thousand rounds per minute).

    A direct comparison between US 20mm gatlings and the MiGs 23mm gatling shows a serious superiority for the Soviet weapon.

    The only real superiority of the US weapon was in its higher muzzle velocity but that is a conscious choice... if the Soviet round had a light weight penetrator projectile, its muzzle velocity would be comparable, but they prefer slower moving heavier projectiles with more HE punch, but at a very high rate of fire so bursts deliver a cluster of rapidly arriving impacts that lands like a shotgun blast rather than a stream of rounds.

    The old model M61 Vulcan weighed 112kgs bare weight of just the gun, while the improved model weighs 92kgs without the feed system and electric motor that powers it.

    The GSh-6-23 weighs 76kgs and does not need an electric motor to power it... it is gas powered by the ammo being fired... which also means it spools up to max fire rate much faster than the electric Vulcan.

    The muzzle velocity of the Vulcan is 1km/s with a 100 gramme SAPHE projectile, while the GSh-6-23s round moves at just over 700m/s, but fires a much heavier 185 gramme HE projectile.

    Note the Vulcan fires a 20x102mm cartridge, while the Soviet weapon is a 23x115mm round... so more case capacity and larger calibre.

    Rates of fire are 6,000rpm for the Vulcan and 10-12,000 rpm for the Soviet gun... so up to 200 rounds per second...

    It was one of the reasons I started taking an interest in Soviet equipment.... I had always believed the western myths of inferior but brutal equipment... this proved those theories wrong.

    Just as importantly, while the US pretty much had the 20mm gatling as its standard aircraft gun, except for the A-10, the Soviets had a range of guns including 23mm single and twin and 6 barrel weapons, and also 30mm single and twin and 6 barrel models too.

    Performance wise they are all excellent weapons each with different features regarding weight and size and rate of fire requirements...

    Some of them, like the single barrel 23mm cannon on the Shilka, and several of the 6 barrel 30mm cannon used by the navy had a built in water cooling system... and not just a simple water cooling jacket... a sophisticated evaporation system...

    On automated radar or IR guns , I must say that , this of course will improve performance . But in a hostile electronic environment , such as radar jamming or IR counter measures or EMP . Then pilot must be able to shoot in old fashion way . And must practice for it . I think you would agree , that modern pilots need to be able to use guns in dog fights . And must train for them . In case of all else failing . The modern materials for jet body must be known . And factored in , when installing guns . I think we pay more attention to armour on a personnel carrier , in designing our guns . But do we really think about aircraft body , when we install guns ? I heard that the F22 body , in part was made of paper / resin mix . In places . Now paper , used to be used as body armour , in the days of old !

    Certainly a pilot needs to learn to navigate by compass, but in a real combat situation it makes sense to take advantage of everything that still works like satellite navigation.

    The fire control computer on the MiG-29 can use range input from the radar or a laser rangefinder built in to the IRST to track the target and give range and angle information for the fire solution continuously calculated in real time. There is also a line in the HUD that assists the pilot to show them where they need to place the nose of their aircraft to hit the target so as they manouver around eventually things will line up correctly and the gun will automatically fire a burst when it is aligned and should hit. (the pilot holding the fire trigger while manouvering to confirm he wants the gun to fire).

    The British have just announced that drone swarms will be used to suppress enemy air defences . They will most probably mimic bigger aircraft in RCS and signals , and put out ECM . So a pilot has to go up and shoot each one . Cheaply . So in this case small calibre high volume fire is needed . Saving SAM for bigger fish later . Alternatively a drone could be used for close air to air . Using data link . But that may be a few years in the future .

    To be honest if the enemy put up drone swarms, the best weapon to use is not actually a machine gun... it is a shot gun... so rather than putting a gun pod with a rifle calibre machine gun on your latest fighters (incidently the Soviets had a gun pod for their Hind attack helos that had a single four barrel 12.7mm calibre HMG gatling gun the same as the weapon in the nose of the D model Hinds, as well as two 7.62mm calibre four barrel gatlings... the HMG with 500 rounds and the two rifle calibre weapons with 1,500 rounds each for hosing down soft targets like infantry in the open.) the problem would be you could fire a lot of rounds for each kill and those rounds could be going in all directions around the base you are defending... rounds that miss the target or go right through don't just suddenly disappear... they can do all sorts of damage to friendly forces.

    I think the best solution to a UAV swarm is EM type weapons, plus a UCAV armed with something like a 40mm grenade launcher... the large calibre would allow a lot of fragments in each round with a base fuse set for 30-40m or so. It doesn't have to be an expensive and complex variable time fuse... just set them for a specific range and fly the UCAV around and fire at the enemy UAVs from a distance where the 40mm round explodes 3-7m short of the target so when it explodes and sends forward a blast of fragments it will be like a super shotgun round that is fired at close range to the target.

    A shotgun is the ideal weapon for an air target... but it has a very limited effective range. Using a 40mm grenade with the front of the round fragmented to blow forward like a Claymore mine means it is an air delivered shotgun blast that is not that expensive, but should be very effective against light airborne targets.

    A flight distance of 30-40m means the target will have little time to avoid the round exploding before detonation.

    Laser range finders on the UCAV can ensure optimum distance for firing... a turret mounted gun could make multiple shots at targets all around the UCAV without having to do a lot of manouvering.

    Fragments are not usually very aerodynamic so while they start off moving at enormous speeds, they rapidly slow down and become rather less dangerous... at more than 50m from the detonation location of the grenade the fragments would probably be starting to become harmless depending upon their weight.

    Very light fragments are still lethal if they are moving fast but light fragments slow down faster and become less lethal faster.

    Light fast fragments means a dense pattern of fragments so small UAVs are less likely to get by unscathed, but too light and they might just bounce off.

    Of course there is not reason why only one round needs to get kills... for some targets a burst of a couple of rounds could be fired to ensure a kill.

    Note this is not new, the standard 30mm aircraft cannon in the Soviet Union had what they called a cargo round that had a fixed fuse that detonated the round at a distance of about 1.8km from the muzzle and it contained fragments in the nose of the round that were blown forward like a shotgun blast. It was to be used against soft targets like aircraft parked on the ground or exposed infantry, and unarmed vehicles.
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    Post  nomadski Thu Feb 14, 2019 3:10 pm

    Agree that UCAV , needs something lighter and shorter range . Since by nature , it can not be too heavy and armoured . I remember somebody saying , there is a need for intelligent maneuverable AAA round . To target cruise missiles in Syria . It may come down to question of cost . UCAV can be relatively cheaply made . And in large numbers . So even a cheaper way needs to be found to counter them . Since they are low RCS and fly with GPS , then they can fly high , to avoid AAA . That is why a manned jet , may be best to counter them at high altitude .
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    Post  GarryB Fri Feb 15, 2019 12:55 am

    I agree with what you are saying and my suggestion of 40mm grenades is related to cost... with the case of swarm attacks we are talking about large numbers of targets, so using missiles and guns and EMP weapons do make sense but it would be too expensive to take them all out with missiles all the time, and with simple guns like rifle calibre machine guns you will be expending a lot of ammo for each kill because unless the target is 50m away a small suit case sized target that is moving is hard to hit even with a 50 round burst from a machine gun at 1km or so.

    A large target like an airfield defended by machine guns would need lots of positions because a 3km long airfield could not be protected from one position with a rifle calibre machine gun, or even a heavy machine gun... even if placed in the middle.

    The advantage of these fixed fuse HE frag round with directional fragmentation warheads is that they are fixed, they don't need expensive timing systems that detonate at the precise time needed and there is no need for the complication and expense of a proximity fuse in the projectile and that means the rounds will be cheap. The UAV the gun is mounted on needs a laser range finder and some way of detecting enemy targets in the air... thermal sights and optical targeting systems and laser rangefinders would do, but these are not inside the missiles being launched and expended so pay for them once and keep using them makes them cheap in the long run.

    Having a slightly larger UAV with a gun turret or turrets with grenade launchers means the UAV could autonomously fly orbits of the base being defended or fly to a place where the enemy threats are likely to fly past... like through a valley or pass in the mountains to evade radar detection and ground operators could monitor and pull the trigger for attacks on enemy drone targets... you could fit hundreds of rounds in a UAV and perhaps 3-5 rounds per target at most means hundreds of kills potentially.

    Once it detects a swarm of enemy drones it can fly with them picking them off... cheaply and it can call in extra help if needed by alerting air defence units as it approaches them... with optical attack methods having IR lights all over your friendly UAV to identify it could save it from being shot down optically... coded flash rates to prevent an enemy mimic attacker...

    Meanwhile they have drones that can detect where drone attacks are coming from so attacking the source is important too to stop future attacks from the same location...

    For Russian military units I believe the 30mm cannon might get a new lease on life with air burst shells with timed fuses, but the small size of the 30mm rounds counts against them... 57mm rounds have potentially rather more HE power and more fragmentation potential and more room for smart fuses... 57mm shell exploding amongst a group of UAVs could damage or disable a few at a time... and if it is successful it offers a potential future where modern fuses are so small and effective 152mm artillery rounds could be used... as the tracking drone flys near a friendly artillery unit it could climb to a safe altitude and request a few air burst rounds at specific coordinates at specific times to detonate amongst the enemy drones... 40kgs of HE and fragments would be devastating out to quite a radius...

    Even if they have the RCS of a marble there are very few marbles flying above 4,000m at 300km/h.... some sort of high speed UAV with that 40mm grenade launcher and ammo would still be the cheapest option for interception... apart from enormously powerful EMP pulse from the ground of course.
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    Post  George1 Thu Apr 18, 2019 3:48 pm

    Watch the new Iranian fighter jet in action

    The Iranian military showcased their new domestically-made Kowsar fighter jet during an air show in Tehran on Tuesday.

    According to the Islamic Republic News Agnecy (IRNA), the new Kowsar aircraft flew alongisde their F-5, MiG-29 and Saeqeh jets in a joint drill. A Boeing 747 supertanker also participated in the show.

    The air show was organized two days before Iran National Army Day, which will display the Islamic Republic’s military might.

    On the Army Day, only the domestically-made fighter jets will be on display, IRNA said, citing army commanders.

    The Kowsar fighter jet was first unveiled in last Summer and it went into mass production by mid-fall. Kowsar is the third Iranian-made jet fighter after Azarakhsh and Saeqeh.

    The domestically-developed fighter jet has been utilizing a wide network of Iranian knowledge-based companies and industrial organizations of the Ministry of Defense.

    The Kowsar has been optimized for the combat capability of the pilot, localized avionics and advanced 4th generation fire control as well as mechanical and hydraulic systems and the engine.

    The fighter jet features an advanced integrated architecture and fire control avionics, the 4th generation digital data network, multi-purpose digital display technology, computerized ballistic calculations of weaponry and the HUD system to increase the accuracy of weapons and ammunition hits, advanced multi-objective fire control radar to enhance the detection of targets and threats, accurate radio and navigation independence and a smart mapping system.

    The jet will be produced in single seat and twin seat versions, with the twin seat expected to be used in training pilots.

    https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/watch-the-new-iranian-fighter-jet-in-action/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebook
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    Post  nomadski Thu Apr 18, 2019 8:43 pm


    I think this aircraft is excellent choice . Simple design . Simple service . Will do great job in close support . I think the next step for Iran , can be to make low RCS frame for this plane . With low RCS external payload . For air to air combat . The cost can be as little as one tenth of fifth generation aircraft . Meaning Iran can have numerical superiority in air combat . Deploy ten to one against F35 . Airframe development far cheaper than making new engine . Keeping existing modified ( materials ) external payload . Fast track to success .

    http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13980129000409
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    Post  GarryB Fri Apr 19, 2019 8:02 am

    Actually rather than going low RCS I would go for a huge RCS.... cover the thing in corner reflectors... it would be seriously cheap and simple... most radar proximity fuses will set off warheads hundreds of metres away from your aircraft, and for most radars seeing an aircraft with the RCS of a battleship... how many planes are there?

    Is it a fighter plane... is it a UAV...
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    Post  nomadski Fri Apr 19, 2019 11:00 am

    Good idea for accompanying UAV .  To have ECM .   Or huge radar reflectors , as you say .  But plane itself will be very low RCS . possible , because the air to air version ,  need not carry external fuel tank , or heavy payload, low wing loading and composite materials  . But two to four short range , heat seekers ( redesigned low RCS versions , carried externally , for keeping plane stream lined ). And internal 20 mm cannon . No need for radar either . Use larger and longer range , ground based radar . Since using it , on the plane , will give position away . Carry more ammo , in nose cone . Radar guided AMRAM , useless against F35 . So engage in WVR ( 20 km )  , dog fight . With numerical superiority .
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    Post  GarryB Sat Apr 20, 2019 4:12 am

    No it wont be very low RCS...

    You can't take an existing design and make it actually stealthy... otherwise why would anyone both designing an aircraft from scratch to be stealthy when they could just convert an existing type for the job.

    You make a good point that support UAVs operating with the aircraft could be large RCS and these fighters could hide amongst their RCS technically inside the UAVs they are operating with.

    A modern equivalent of LANTIRN could be built in to the aircraft relatively cheaply and offer most of the capabilities that radar can achieve, but I would add an L band wing mounted radar to detect low RCS targets too because you get a better view of your airspace from up in the air... target data can be passed to ground stations to build a good picture of the battlespace for your whole force.

    Modern ARH missiles like AMRAAM and R-77 use an autopilot to fly to an intercept point close to the target where they start scanning for targets to intercept... if you are getting target data from L band radar on your wings (which they wont detect) and ground stations then you could put IIR seekers on your medium range missiles and launch them towards targets many tens of kms away and when they get to the area they can start searching for air targets with their IR sensors totally passively... if the target moves while they are on their way the launch aircraft or ground station can send intercept updates to change its flight path for a better position to scan and detect the stealthy target and then chase it down.

    You could put the same seeker on HAWK missiles and other long range missiles too, so a large scale strike by Israel or the US could be hammered as it approaches Iranian territory before it releases any weapons...

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