Iran’s future go-to combat aircraft.

Part 2: The Eyes

- He who sees first dies last -
The importance of the above cannot be overstated. The sensors noted below represent a cross-section of Iranian capabilities, only.
Onboard, third-party and offboard - surveillance and targeting sensors.

User IiskyhawII per Instagram posted an image of a radar marked, ‘3’. Its shows what is likely the final extrapolation of a digitized and heavily modernized
AN/APQ-120 radar F-4 Phantom II Westinghouse radar. He noted that ‘finally, after years of waiting for the Phantom Warfare Radar Upgrade Project’
(perhaps the Jngnthi project?), (it) was unveiled in December 2018 at the Kish Air Show, after some 4 years in development. It probably was a multi-mode
X-band PD radar with TWS and SAR, flat array, modern digital electronics, and presumably LRU’s. ‘ Jngnthi’ is speculated as having a range three times
that of AN/APQ-120. Thus 150 - 160km.
 Westinghouse AN/APQ-120

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:AN-APQ-120_in_test_bench,_1967_-_National_Electronics_Museum_-_DSC00368.JPG

↓
 https://www.instagram.com/p/B3O6cFCh-12/

‘Jngnthi project’ radar?

However, also unveiled in late 2018, shown in the nose of an F-4E Phantom II at Bushehr AB, was the CLETRI (607th Institute) JL-10A based  Bayyenat-1
radar, that has a range of just over 100km.

So, what gives, and what happened to ‘Jngnthi’? Or was it just vaporware, simply misunderstood, or a re-direction serving some or other purpose? After all,
if its software really were written by Iranian coders, especially in this day and age of insidious malware and backdoors, would that not be a telling waste of
resources?

There is of course another possibility. The Iranians could be hedging their bets by positioning this radar to upgrade it to an AESA unit in the event of a
failure to acquire an analogous product from abroad. How? By retaining the existing back end and by mating it with an AESA array – mounted on a
repositioner (swivel plate). This has after all been done with the CAPTOR, RBE2, PS-05/A Mk 4, and of late the Grifo-346. Rear-front interfaces allowing of
course. Probably more of an incentive if a complete radar cannot be had elsewhere. The truth about ‘Jngnthi’ will probably not emerge anytime soon, if at
all. Whatever the case, Iran’s ultimate IEI AESA FCR will probably be designated Bayyenat-111.
On October 22, 2020, poster skyshadow asked of the above image … could this be the new Iranian airborne AESA radar? Was the poster just
teasing?
On a more hopeful note - the following probable’s:-

The Grifo-346/ KLJ-XX/Bayyenat-11 (NRIET – ToT- ed to Iran by China?). This will likely begat the Grifo-E, or a Chinese- Iranian derivative thereof
(likely Bayyenat-111). Tracks 24 and engages ≥4 targets simultaneously.
https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/defense/2018-12-13/grifo-e-target-hit-key-development-milestones.
The array would likely also be mounted on a swivel plate to maximize its FOV.
https://defence.pk/pdf/threads/jf-17-block-iiis-proposed-aesa-radar-klj-7a.458854/page-44
Grifo/NRIET (KLJ-7A). Tracks 15 and engages 4 targets simultaneously.
 https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/threads/chengdu-paic-fc-1-jf-17-and-grumman-super-7.1413/page-2
LFK 601E AESA radar from AVIC, China. Tracks 20 and engages 4 targets simultaneously.

All the above AESA FCR’s should ideally have a detection range for a ‘fighter sized target’ of 200km and track it at 150k. The term ‘a
fighter sized target’ is however something of an oxymoron, but in this instance probably refers to an aircraft having an RCS in the order
of ~3m²2. Obviously the higher the targets RCS, the higher the probability of the attacker detecting, tracking, and shooting first.

With reference to radar range, it does not necessarily reflect real-world conditions, but rather ideal conditions.
 https://www.aeroexpo.online/prod/leonardo-finmeccanica/product-169774-64079.html.

Nice image of a front-end combo featuring a radar and an IRST, such as that which will likely grace ‘Saeqeh- III’.
The following component should likely complete this combo, viz.,
 https://defence.pk/pdf/threads/iranian-electro-optical-and-infrared-sensors.670769/TIC-S-2 IIR.

This sensor was (also) adjudged as being capable of fitting into a Saeqeh-like front- end. Its range is 150km head-on and 300km for departing
targets.
 https://defence.pk/pdf/threads/iriaf-news-and-discussions.358559/page-142
Kowsar IFF. Reportedly AN/APX-95 based. Besides determining whether a bogie is a friendly or an enemy, an IFF can also be used to determine
the bearing and range - from the interrogator - of a bogie, and to track it.
 https://i.redd.it/j8l60gvq1zv71.png
HESA IrAn-140 (subsequently Simorgh), with conventional top-mounted radar dome. Other options are a dorsal ‘machete-shaped’ fixed radar
array mounted on top of the fuselage, such as that of the SAAB Erieye system for instance. Another, with the arrays integrated into the
fuselage on either side, such as that of the ELTA- equipped Gulfstream G.550 CAEW.
Besides HESA’s eventual Simorgh AEW&C aircraft, the IRIAF have used F-14 Tomcats as mini-AWACS’ during s.c. "Gashtzan" patrol. To be sure,
the upgraded F-14AM with AWG-9+ radar (370/270km) will deliver up an even more impressive mini-AWACs. There is however no
replacement foreseen for this weapons system over the medium-to-long term. And even if Iran does acquire the Sukhoi Su-35S Flanker E, its
bog-standard Irbis-E PESA FCR (~250/~100km) do not in any way pass muster in this role. Other airborne sources would include CAP fighters
(other Saeqeh-III’s for instance) and drones – all following lazy energy and FOV optimized flightpaths.

Regarding drones in particular, Irans has an embarrassing array of suitable vehicles that it can use, such as the Shahed 149 Gaza, Fotros, and Kaman 22,
for instance.
All these UAV’s can inter alia carry ECM & Tracking pods; TV/SAR & LASER devices; detect airborne and surface radar; likely provide SATCOMS; and a two-
way tactical datalink to communicate with a range of aerial/surface/and seaborne assets. See below for example.

Kaman-22
A video of an Iranian Kaman-22 UAV in a IRIAF warehouse has emerged that showed it next to a jet engine. UAVs so equipped could act as
wingmen for CAP flights as it would then have the speed to keep up with these fighters, including outgoing strike packages.
Onboard (FCR’s above), third-party and offboard surveillance, and targeting sensors:-
ULR OTHR’s; VLR Bi-static radar; LR AEW; LR battle management radar; MR AD surveillance radar; MR Naval; passive ‘radar’; EO & thermal
devices, dual-use – ATC - and also in time perhaps Iran’s fledgling space-facilities and programs. See in particular also Cooperative Engagement
Capability, or CEC, in part 4.

https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/iran/radar-sepehr.htm
Sepehr OTHR: Range 2 500 - 3 000km.
https://twitter.com/fresh_sadegh/status/1173306894229889026
Nazir (Khalij Fars)
 Source: Probably https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/iran/radar-nazir.htmBina
Bina
The above bi-static radar constitutes the ‘Nazir early warning radar system’. Range ~800km.
 Fat’h 14 AEW. Range 600km.
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTj4jk-SQ-e8gYKroXVXyYBh63E2Q77Om7Hyw&usqp=CAU
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS_QbzRH2PQ51Zbs4h-pfrpfp0PjueoXU508z-usQ3NkQ&s

Meraj 4 battle management radar – range ~450km.

Naval radar – ASR: 200km (will increase to 300km with an upgrade).
The Alim passive ‘radar’has a range of 300km.
 https://www.tasnimnews.com/en/news/2017/08/28/1504282/iran-unveils-new-air-defense-gear

Aref-2 IFF

As per General Esmayeeli ”The Aref 2 system is actually an IFF electronic tapping system,” It can be used to tap into equipment and enemy devices, and
extract information without alerting him.
https://defence.pk/pdf/threads/iranian-electro-optical-and-infrared-sensors.670769/

Naval EO sensor.

Also, the TIC-S-2 IIR sensor already noted above.

Dual Use: Irans networked ATC system.

 https://financialtribune.com/articles/domestic-economy/99038/new-aviation-radars-covering-tehran-skies

Primary Surveillance and monopulse Secondary Surveillance Radar. These serve communication, nav-aid, surveillance, and safety and security functions.
Wonder if the above images are repretative of the smart Misaq system which incorporates both primary and secondary radar. Furthermore is the ‘Primary
Surveilance Radar’ with a claimed range of 420 km, and possibly also known as ‘TMA’, and installed for safe airliner passage, an Arash-1?
 https://www.tasnimnews.com/en/news/2017/08/28/1504282/iran-unveils-new-air-defense-gear

Sama:-assists the Iranian Civil Aviation Organization with ATC. It is used for detecting aerial targets and controlling air traffic. Data is
automatically received from flights crossing the Iranian airspace. These flight paths are determined within a very short period of time.

Probably not so Dual Use, for now at least: Iran’s nascent space programmes.
 https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=11734.460

Iran has progressive space programmes and a network of space observation and tracking stations employing radar, radio, and electro-optical means.
However, what these stations can practically contribute to the context of ‘eyes’ are not clear to me. The Russian built and recently launched remote-
sensing satellite (Khayyam) will likewise be of little use to this end.

Finally, all the dedicated air, ground, and sea sensors, as well as dual use ones, would pass detected and unidentified targets up the reporting chain via
secure data link (the Hadi network?). All the aforementioned sensors may collectively be referred to as ‘G-WACS’. This sum of data is then fused, crunched,
and transmitted to various assets, and from these further to different users as per their requirements.