Our Training
In 1974, IIAF [Imperial Iranian Air Force] pilots (mostly Phantom veterans) went to NAS Miramar and NAS Oceana to begin training in the Tomcat. They returned to Iran to become instructors for others. Four squadrons were formed: two in Isfahan at the new Khatami base constructed specifically for the Tomcats (81st and 82nd TFS) and two in Shiraz (72nd and 73rd TFS). Two of the pilots, Captain Farahavar and Captain Zanganeh, performed live firing of the Phoenix at the Point Mugu test range.
Our training was intense and serious; we set and maintained high standards throughout the program. While preparing for ramping up training in Iran, I advocated for adjustments to the curriculum based on our previous experience in training combat pilots, as well as what we had learned regarding the Tomcat’s weak points and flying characteristics. I insisted that we focus the first part on purely flying the Tomcat in various situations and its flight characteristics, then add an explicit selection step mid-curriculum, where the trainee would have to demonstrate a high level of proficiency in this area before moving on to weapons and combat operations.
General Khatami gave me his full support. To this day, I am convinced that this helped our aircrews in their missions in subsequent combat situations and am thankful to General Khatami for this.
1977 Paris Air Show
We were progressing well and were approached by Grumman to perform in the 1977 Paris Air Show. We discussed the program for this performance, which was to include a steep (60-degree bank) high G 360-degree turn and a steep climb after a touch-and-go landing followed by a split S. These were precisely the types of situations that could result in a compressor stall, and performing them would demonstrate that they can be handled. The Paris aerial demonstration was not approved, but I scheduled this exact program to be performed by myself and fellow Tomcat pilot, Colonel Dehnadi, in the annual IIAF airshow that same year held at Khatami base.
Within a few years, a very capable cadre of aircrews had become trained and prepared. Despite later reports to the contrary, the IIAF had stockpiled large amounts of spare parts and ammunition for its F-14s as well as other aircraft. By 1979, all four Tomcat squadrons were fully operational and ready for combat.
The Fallout
The selection and purchase of the newest fighter aircraft equipped with the most advanced long-range air-to-air missile in Iran’s arsenal was a significant development that caught the attention of friends and enemies alike. It has been accompanied by many statements and beliefs in Iranian society, and truthfully, they have often been incorrect and misleading. Neighboring countries became sensitive. Our northern neighbor was worried about Iran’s economic and military advancements and the increasing American influence.
It tried to undermine this action with every possible means, with a series of propaganda, incitement, partisan games, conspiracy theories, and spreading rumors. It created chaos and other activities that were counter to peace and stability in the region. They did not miss any of our military plans, as they were not hidden. If certain construction activities were started on the surface of Iran, the next day, their spy planes would fly at high altitudes and took pictures.
As commander of the F-14 program, I reported and recorded two examples of such flights that were tracked by F-14s over the Anarak shooting range and Sar Cheshme copper mines. We eventually conducted more live firings of the Phoenix, but this time in Iran. The MiG-25 overflights then stopped occurring.
Iranian F-14s were crucial to defeating Iraq when Saddam Hussein invaded Iran
The tragic events of 1979 put an end to the IIAF, and more than seventy percent of the key personnel (including myself and all of my colleagues in the IIAF high command) were purged from service over a year and a half, effectively decimating and decapitating the IIAF. In 1980, Saddam Hussein of Iraq invaded Iran, and it was the survivors of the IIAF that saved the country from immediate defeat and dismemberment.
What should have been a weeklong operation ending in total defeat and the breakup of Iran ended up being an eight-year war of attrition with massive damage, but no borders changed. The history of this terrible war is extensive and beyond the scope of this article.
The Iranian air campaign was fully planned and executed effectively by IIAF officers and is described in the book “Immortals of the Sky” by Colonel F. Izadseta. But suffice to say, the Tomcats played a prominent and history-changing role in that war and were central to the defeat of Saddam’s invasion. Just one example of this role is the defense of Kharg Island, Iran’s main oil terminal and arguably the single most strategic target in Iran, which was attacked over 2,800 times (just about every day) by larger and larger formations of Iraqi Sukhoi’s, MiG’s, and Mirages.
Iranian F-14s crucial to defeating Iraq in Operation Desert Storm
Yet it was never destroyed or shut down (it did sustain damage). The island was defended by just a few Tomcats and Hawk SAMs, and other anti-aircraft. Quite often, just being illuminated by an AWG-9 was enough for an Iraqi attack to be aborted. By contrast, the Iranian Air Force and Navy destroyed the Iraqi oil terminals and permanently put them out of commission in the first two months of the war.
The Tomcats made all the difference. By the end of the war, they had achieved over 150 kills and warded off countless Iraqi aircraft from achieving their missions. Iraqi pilots remembered this when, in Operation Desert Storm, they would not even engage US Navy Tomcats once they realized they were in the area. Despite this stellar record, had the IIAF organization and leadership not been decimated, the Tomcat force would have had even a greater impact, most likely shortening or even preventing the war to begin with.
Back when we purchased the Tomcats less than a decade earlier, we could not imagine the brutal fate that was in store for us and these crews and the impossible situation they would be put in. These events proved that selecting the F-14 ended up becoming one of the best decisions the IIAF ever made. In effect, time and history presented us with the ultimate test for our decision and training, and the Tomcats and their crews passed with flying colors. This article is dedicated to them and all those who made this possible.
Conclusion
Based on practical evidence, the F-14 aircraft has been a worthy choice for maintaining the security of Iran’s skies. Our patriotic and moral duty demands that we acknowledge and thank all the Tomcat air and ground crews, His Majesty the Shah, who wisely made the final decision, as well as the Military Industries Organization and other organizations that have been diligent in this direction, and our allies in the American leadership. On behalf of a grateful nation, Your Majesty, we owe you a mountain of gratitude for this thoughtful choice, which served our country so well.
Photo by IIAF Association, IIAF Museum and Tom Cooper
