A 50-Year-Old American-Made Fighter Jet in Iran’s Arsenal Still Exceeds 1,500 MPH

Iran has fired over 180 missiles into Israel as tensions mount in the region. Iran announced it was in response to Israel’s attacks against Hezbollah, which is an Iranian-backed militant group. Israel reported that its defense system effectively stopped many of the missiles. (These are the fighter jets and attack helicopters of the Israeli Air Force.)

24/7 Wall St. is taking a closer look at Iran’s Air Force. To identify the fastest Iranian combat aircraft currently in service, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the 2024 World Air Forces report from FlightGlobal, an aviation and aerospace industry publication. We ordered these aircraft by top speed and we included combat helicopters as well. We also included supplemental data on the type of aircraft, active aircraft, armament, and which Iranian military branch they serve under.

Here is a look at the fastest fighter jets and combat helicopters currently in service in Iran:

Why Are We Covering This?

Understanding the combat aircraft within Iran’s arsenal gives context to what the country is capable of in terms of its military. Recent tensions on the geopolitical stage raise the question of military strength within the region.

16. Bell 206 (JetRanger / LongRanger)

• Type: Light utility helicopter
• Year introduced: 1967
• Military branch: Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force, Islamic Republic of Iran Army
• Manufacturer: Bell Helicopters
• Active aircraft: 5
• Top speed: 122 mph
• Armament: 7.62mm machine guns

15. Bell 212

• Type: Medium-lift utility / transport helicopter
• Year introduced: 1968
• Military branch: Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force, Islamic Republic of Iran Navy
• Manufacturer: Bell Helicopters
• Active aircraft: 10
• Top speed: 140 mph
• Armament: 7.62mm machine guns

14. Mi-171 Hip-H

• Type: Medium-lift transport helicopter
• Year introduced: 1981
• Military branch: Islamic Republic of Iran Navy, Iranian Revolutionary Guard
• Manufacturer: Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant / Russian Helicopters
• Active aircraft: 22
• Top speed: 158 mph
• Armament: Shturm missiles, rocket pods, 23mm cannon pods, 7.62mm machine guns

13. Bell 214

• Type: Medium-lift utility helicopter
• Year introduced: 1972
• Military branch: Islamic Republic of Iran Army
• Manufacturer: Bell Helicopters
• Active aircraft: 24
• Top speed: 162 mph
• Armament: 7.62mm machine guns

12. SH-3 Sea King

• Type: Anti-submarine warfare helicopter
• Year introduced: 1961
• Military branch: Islamic Republic of Iran Navy
• Manufacturer: Sikorsky
• Active aircraft: 8
• Top speed: 166 mph
• Armament: Mark 44 / 46 torpedoes, anti-ship missiles, naval depth charges, 7.62mm machine guns

11. AH-1J SeaCobra

• Type: Dedicated two-seat attack helicopter
• Year introduced: 1970
• Military branch: Islamic Republic of Iran Army
• Manufacturer: Bell Helicopters
• Active aircraft: 13
• Top speed: 175 mph
• Armament: 20mm M197 triple barrel gatling gun, Hydra rocket pods, Zuni rocket pods, BGM-TOW missiles, Sidewinder missiles

10. CH-47C Chinook

• Type: Medium-lift, tandem rotor transport helicopter
• Year introduced: 1962
• Military branch: Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force, Islamic Republic of Iran Army
• Manufacturer: Boeing
• Active aircraft: 40
• Top speed: 180 mph
• Armament: 7.62mm machine guns

9. CH-53 Sea Stallion

• Type: Heavy-lift transport helicopter
• Year introduced: 1966
• Military branch: Islamic Republic of Iran Navy
• Manufacturer: Sikorsky
• Active aircraft: 6
• Top speed: 196 mph
• Armament: 12.7mm machine guns, 7.62mm machine guns

8. Su-22 Fitter

• Type: Strike fighter
• Year introduced: 1970
• Military branch: Iranian Revolutionary Guard
• Manufacturer: Sukhoi
• Active aircraft: 9
• Top speed: 718 mph
• Armament: 30mm autocannons, conventional drop bombs, guided bombs, rocket pods, gun pods, air-to-air missiles, air-to-surface missiles

7. F-5E Tiger II

• Type: Multirole fighter aircraft
• Year introduced: 1962
• Military branch: Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force
• Manufacturer: Northrop Aircraft Corporation
• Active aircraft: 35
• Top speed: 1,077 mph
• Armament: 20mm M39A2 automatic cannons, Sidewinder missiles, Maverick missiles, rocket pods, conventional drop bombs, guided bombs

6. F-7 Fishcan

• Type: Interceptor / Strike fighter aircraft
• Year introduced: 1980
• Military branch: Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force
• Manufacturer: Shengyang / Chengdu
• Active aircraft: 17
• Top speed: 1,367 mph
• Armament: 30mm internal cannons, air-to-air missiles, air-to-surface missiles, conventional drop bombs, rocket pods

5. Su-24 Fencer

• Type: Long-range strike / attack aircraft
• Year introduced: 1974
• Military branch: Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force
• Manufacturer: Sukhoi
• Active aircraft: 23
• Top speed: 1,439 mph
• Armament: 23mm GSh internal six-barrel cannon, Aphid missiles, Archer missiles, Kingbolt missiles, Krypton missiles, rocket pods, conventional drop bombs, guided bombs

4. Mirage F1EQ

• Type: Interceptor aircraft
• Year introduced: 1973
• Military branch: Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force
• Manufacturer: Dassault
• Active aircraft: 12
• Top speed: 1,453 mph
• Armament: 30mm DEFA internal automatic cannons, Sidewinder missiles, Magic missiles, Matra missiles, conventional drop bombs, rocket pods, Armat missiles

3. F-4 Phantom II

• Type: Strike fighter
• Year introduced: 1960
• Military branch: Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force
• Manufacturer: McDonnell Douglas
• Active aircraft: 63
• Top speed: 1,473 mph
• Armament: 20mm M61 Vulcan, Skyflash missiles, Sparrow missiles, Sidewinder missiles, rocket pods, gun pods, conventional drop bombs, guided bombs

2. MiG-29 Fulcrum

• Type: Lightweight multirole fighter aircraft
• Year introduced: 1984
• Military branch: Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force
• Manufacturer: Mikoyan / United Aircraft Corporation
• Active aircraft: 18
• Top speed: 1,519 mph
• Armament: 30mm GSh-1 internal automatic cannon, Alamo missiles, Adder missiles, rocket pods, conventional drop bombs, guided bombs

1. F-14 Tomcat

• Type: Swing-wing, carrier borne fleet defense fighter
• Year introduced: 1974
• Military branch: Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force
• Manufacturer: Grumman Aircraft
• Active aircraft: 41
• Top speed: 1,544 mph
• Armament: 20mm internal gatling gun, Phoenix missiles, Sparrow missiles, Sidewinder missiles, conventional drop bombs, guided bombs

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