Ini bukan cerita mazhab. Ini cerita teknologi dan
kesungguhan. Jet pejuang Iran dari tahun 70an masih lagi dalam keadaan baik dan
mampu melakukan operasi perang. Dengan teknologi ini mungkin TUDM masih boleh
menggunakan lagi jet Sabre, Tebuan, Skyhawk, F-5E dan MIG 29 tanpa perlu
membeli jet pejuang yang baru. Kehebatan teknologi penerbangan Iran ini
mengkagumkan Pentagon.
Ingenuity keeps Iran’s Vietnam-war-era planes flying in
fight against Isis
The Pentagon is confirming that footage of a combat plane in
action against Islamic State (Isis) over Iraq is the Vietnam-war-era F-4
Phantom used by the Iranian air force.
Iran’s air force is reliant on American planes it had before
the 1979 revolution as well as planes flown to Iran by Iraqi pilots, which were
apparently intended as protection from US air strikes during the 1990-91 Gulf
war.
It is a tribute to Iranian ingenuity that Iran has been able
to keep the planes flying, given US sanctions in place since 1979. The Iranians
have done so by a combination of smuggling – using shadow companies to buy
parts – and cannibalising parts from civil aircraft. They have also engaged in
reverse engineering, though this seldom produces a perfect match, resulting in
weaker parts.
Justin Bronk, a research analyst in the military science
programme at the London-based Royal United Services Institute, said of the
plane spotted over Iraq: “This is the equivalent of a late Vietnam-era F-4
Phantom D or E variants. We do not know which one.”
Bronk, who specialises in combat air power, added: “It is
extremely impressive that the Iranians have kept this airworthiness given the
ban on spare parts. The Iranian aerospace industry is one of the best in the
world in keeping old aircraft airworthy.”
Many of the original pilots left Iran or were executed after
the 1979 revolution. The present crop have to contend not only with ageing
aircraft but also the fact that they are able to log only a small number of
flying hours compared with, say, US pilots.
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