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| Azarakhsh | |
|---|---|
 HESA Azarakhsh on display at Vahdati Air Base | |
| General information | |
| Type | Light fighter |
| Manufacturer | Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industrial Company (HESA) |
| Status | In service[1] (production completed) |
| Primary user | Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force |
| Number built | 6[2] |
| History | |
| Introduction date | 1997 |
| Developed from | Northrop F-5 |
| Developed into | HESA Saeqeh HESA Kowsar |
The HESA Azarakhsh (Persian: آذرخش Âzaraxš, "Thunderbolt") is a jet fighter aircraft manufactured by the Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industrial Company (HESA). It is widely regarded as a rebuilt and renamed American Northrop F-5 Freedom Fighter/Tiger II [2] although Iranian authorities claim it is Iran's first domestically manufactured combat jet fighter.[3]
The Azarakhsh was developed in Isfahan by the Iranian army, the Iranian Defense Ministry, and aircraft-manufacturing company HESA.[4]
- ^ "Global Security".
- ^ a b GlobalSecurity.org Azarakhsh (Lightning)
- ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-02-16. Retrieved 2007-02-16.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) Tel Aviv University Publication, Analysis by the Jaffee Center for Strategic Studies - ^ John Pike. "Azarakhsh". globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 12 May 2015.