The first prototype appeared in July 2004. Middle East Media Survey Association? (MEMRI) translated the broadcast of Iranian News Network (IRINN) and found this news, Saeqeh? The fighter then entered service on September 6, 2006 and participated in the code-named "Strike? Yes? Zolfaqar "military exercise. In the exercise in August 2006/ 19, a new fighter plane was designated as a bombing mission, and then two prototypes flew over Tehran on September 20, 2007. Displayed at Mehra Bader Airport. Two days later, three prototypes appeared in the parade.
Iran also indicated that it will soon test-fly other types of Lightning 80 extended-range fighters and install different weapon systems with different ranges and aerodynamic shapes.
Iranian officials released a small amount of information. Air Force Commander Ahmed? Brigadier General Mighani said that Saeqeh has aerodynamic characteristics and radar missiles that are beyond the times. Majid, director of the national defense logistics military aerospace group? Hedayat said that Saeqeh has the characteristics of easy maintenance and intensive attendance bombing [8]. It has been suggested that lightning fighters will be the role of future attack aircraft.
Saeqeh is also used to compare American F/A- 18 fighters. Although the appearance of the two machines is somewhat similar, the detailed performance is still unclear. Because many Iranian-made weapon systems have no information from outside. In 2008, Iran claimed that the range of Saeqeh fighters was 3,000 kilometers. Muhammad? Naggar also said that on August 6, 2007, it began to design a new fighter, which is obviously not Saeqeh? Because psyche has already flown away.
Iran claims that Saeqeh has reached the level of F- 18, and its two tails are similar to F- 18 in appearance. However, Zhan Weapons magazine commented in 2007 that Iran has been blocked by the West for a long time, and it is difficult to obtain all kinds of new military aircraft design technologies and equipment. The F-5 fighter was an export fighter in the 1960s, and it was easy to master the technology. Iran still has to spend more than 12 years to develop an upgraded model. Therefore, the comprehensive combat power of avionics and weapons should be between F- 16A or F- 18A, which is considered as the third generation fighter level in the west and can be used under the standards of trainer or attack aircraft. If we can get medium-range air-to-air missiles, we still have certain air combat capability, otherwise the battlefield will only be quite backward in 2 1 century.