MiG-29KUB

[Tomcat_al200]

I will soon be posting pictures of the prototype MiG-29KUB to aid in the training of the IRNAF pilots who will go on to fly Su-33's and F-14's off of the Ayatollah Khomeini

[Tomcat_al200]

Cathy.McClelland@farmington.k12.mi.us

[Captain Canada]

Komrade Vesperonovich...as dat ewe ?



Looking forward to zeeing fabulous Mig regardless !

 

[lancer]

Comrade Toadarov,
Is your usual vigilant socialist vision slightly befuddled by vodka again?? Look at the post above and you shall see that it is a new recruit to our great socialist cause and most definately noe Comrade Vesperanovich.

Comrade Colonel Lancerov - GRU

[Joe C-P]

This is a most interesting development. Does the IRNAF ally itself with the great Socialist Motherland, or the decadent west, or are they independent?

Our intelligence bureau never suspected! We shall have to have words with them. Big, heavy, painful words.

Commissar Iosef R, shipbuilding division

[Tomcat_al200]

http://www.jibjab.com/

[Supertom]

Comrade Tomcat,

Welcome to our socialist cause!  As you may have noticed, the only rule here is that you must speak like our fellow glorious socialist patriots (and not like a running capitalist dog.)  If need be you may imbibe in vodka to inspire you (but it is treason if you do so under 21).

[Tomcat_al200]

whats the matter, hickup, if I'm under 21? I just gota get out dat camera ting and, hickup, heyy, yur kinda cute, hikup, thud.  

[Supertom]

Comrade, it is a disclaimer that the running capitalist dogs and their lackey lawyers have oppressed us with!  Up the revolution!  And up with your Mig-29KUB!!!

(Now, if you'd just go over to the pirating thread and start talking like a pirate you'd be all set)

[lancer]

Comrade, it is a disclaimer that the running capitalist dogs and their lackey lawyers have oppressed us with!  Up the revolution!  And up with your Mig-29KUB!!!

(Now, if you'd just go over to the pirating thread and start talking like a pirate you'd be all set)

ArrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrSKI!!!!!!    :ar:  :ar:    :ar:    

[Tomcat_al200]

I'm much better now comrads, no longer must our Iranian ally relie on infereor western made aircraft. Now to create a carrier force that will make the capitolist pashlans see a new red tite.

Better comrads, da?

[Vespernoliavich]

Much better Tovaritch Al200ov.

Strange, the Irianians got their hands on a CV? from whom?


Vespernoliavich B)  

[Nick]

1975 and Iran gets an ex-WW2 carrier from the huge USN Reserve mothball fleet or one of the ex-RN ships, it's supposed to be cut up for scrap metal but after 5 years rotting away in a Middle East harbour it's nearly forgotten about.

After the Iranian Revolution and some Soviet deals are struck, the carrier is readied for use as an ASW helicopter carrier until suitable aircraft and training can be found.

Or....

After the Revolution Iran does a deal allowing the Soviet Navy to use their ports for refuelling, as part of this they get some of their pilots trained to land on carriers gradually building up to buying a Soviet carrier with oil money.

I have a couple of doubts about this. I don't think Iran has a port big enough to park a large carrier in for security. Their neighbours would wet themselves (India etc) and the USN/RN would target it for 'accidental demolition' if there was a slight threat of blocking the oil tankers movements.
Also, this thread is 1950-1980, well before any time for Iran to have a serious carrier fleet. I could see them with a light carrier for helicopter ASW work in keeping the Persian Gulf and other sealanes clear.
Did you know they had one of the largest hovercraft fleets in the world?
Iran Navy - Global Security website

Nick B)  

[Nick]

Hmm, what about a second or thirdhand ex-RN Majestic class carrier which is in need of serious upgrading to make it fully capable? Step up, HMCS Magnificent!!!

Let's think seriously about this with the intention of giving the Iranian Navy an ex-RN carrier in the early 1960s. Iran first seriously opened up to Western business in the 1950s with a US-backed coup in 1953 and a defence pact in 1959. HMG would not want to miss out on such a situation!

The Tracker and Empire class vessels were all converted merchant ships and none existed in carrier form in 1960.

Most of the Illustrious class ships (including the Implacable and Indomitable conversions) were scrapped by 1957 as obsolete. HMS Victorious was the only to see the 1970s and by then scrapping had started after years of service.
HMS Eagle and Ark Royal were hard to maintain by all accounts but still saw major use by us.
HMS Unicorn was a one-off (as a repair ship) and was scrapped in 1960.

Centaur class, only 4 of 8 ships actually built. HMS Albion and Bulwark were used by the RN till the 1970s, Hermes saw action in the Falklands. HMS Centaur saw limited use as carrier until 1965 when she was used for accomodation before being scrapped in the early 1970s.

Colossus class, 10 ships. 5 of these saw service thru the 60s and beyond, 2 others were scrapped in the 1950s. HMS Glory, Ocean and Theseus were scrapped in 1962.

Majestic class, 6 ships. None used by RN, all renamed by new owners and rebuilt to their specs. HMCS Magnificent, HMCS Bonaventure, HMAS Melbourne, HMAS Sydney, INS Vikrant (Indian Navy). Odd one out was the Leviathan which was never completed and stripped of parts to keep her sisters running, eventually being scrapped in 1968.

So, there are 5 contenders for Irans first carrier.
Leviathan was a stripped out hulk and very unlikely to be bought. Her sister ship HMCS Magnificent had seen service and been replaced by 1957 and was more capable of operations.
HMS Glory, Ocean and Theseus were all in reasonable condition but would have needed upgrading for angled flight decks, Glory might have needed more work than the others.

Of course, this is assuming the Royal Navy never got the Malta class ships they wanted and the Americans wouldn't have blocked the sale of British ships to 'their' allies...

Nick B)  

[Geoff_B]

Not sure the Allied forces would encourge an Iranian Carrier force. There weapon sales were designed to bolster the defence of the Gulf (F-14's F-16s, Orions, Kidd class AAW Destroyers. Going deep water into the Indian ocean would certainly give then cause for concern. Now the French might have sold on Arromanche when their new Clemencaeu class came into service. The biggest factor is that many WWII carrier designs used post war were not that suitable for modern naval jet aircraft.

For the 60's 70's period then i guess a light carrier with VTOL aircraft would have been the obvious choice (hmmn Iranian Harriers !!! might even have funded the AV-16 developments in the 70's !!!! ).

Post revolution then one of the ex-Soviet Kievs or the Varyag  rather than going to China for scrapping (or museums).

Cheers

Geoff B B)