Iran's Outdated F-5 Tigers Have One Big Advantage Over America's F-35s

[TomSea]

Iran's Outdated F-5 Tigers Have One Big Advantage Over America's F-35s

If tensions turn into warfare, the factory-fresh F-35s could face an Iranian air force operating some of the oldest active fighters in the world.
by David Axe Follow @daxe on Twitter L

Key point: All things being equal the F-5 despite its age might still possesses the agility to gain the advantage over an F-35.

Amid escalating tensions between Iran and the United States, in part resulting from U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision unilaterally to withdraw the United States from the 2015 deal limiting Iran’s nuclear program, the U.S. armed forces have deployed a wide array of ships, planes and other weapons to the Middle East.

The American arsenal in the region includes F-35 stealth fighters. If tensions turn into warfare, the factory-fresh F-35s could face an Iranian air force operating some of the oldest active fighters in the world.

The Iranians with their four-decade-old F-4s, F-5s and F-14s might not seem to have a chance against the Americans flying arguably the world’s most advanced fighter aircraft. But history, and recent testing show how Iranian pilots flying old planes could defeat Americans flying brand-new ones.

Read more at: https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/irans-outdated-f-5-tigers-have-one-big-advantage-over-americas-f-35s-132542

[Maj. Bill Martin]

A brand new F-5, fully armed with operational missiles, would have some advantages over an F-35 in a close-in dogfight - though there is pretty much zero chance it could ever get that close before being blown out of the sky.

But those planes are 40 years old.  The Iranians have had a hell of a time trying to get spare parts, and fewer and fewer of them work every year.  They would basically be worthless in a real fight against the U.S.

[PeteS in CA]

A brand new F-5, fully armed with operational missiles, would have some advantages over an F-35 in a close-in dogfight - though there is pretty much zero chance it could ever get that close before being blown out of the sky.

But those planes are 40 years old.  The Iranians have had a hell of a time trying to get spare parts, and fewer and fewer of them work every year.  They would basically be worthless in a real fight against the U.S.

One of the purposes of stealth is to preclude getting close enough to an enemy plane for a dogfight to occur. In addition to questionable state of repair, Iranian F-5Es were acquired in 1975 and 1976. Those ~45-year-old airframes have a lot of hours on them.

[Smokin Joe]

One of the purposes of stealth is to preclude getting close enough to an enemy plane for a dogfight to occur. In addition to questionable state of repair, Iranian F-5Es were acquired in 1975 and 1976. Those ~45-year-old airframes have a lot of hours on them.

The Iranians have apparently been hard at work upgrading and refitting their fighter fleet, including the F-14s. While there was a period parts were in short supply, they have either reverse engineered spares and 3-D printed some. Add to that upgrades in armament, avionics refits, and better radars, and these planes are once again formidable air superiority fighters.
They have done the same with the F-5Es and F-4s they have.

So, it would be dangerous to assume these are sitting in some boneyard decaying, instead the Iranians have been hard at work to make them fully capable fighters.