Satellite image captures decades-old US-made F-5 jets at an Iranian airbase, offering a snapshot of Tehran's vintage air force
New satellite imagery of an Iranian base shows several aging F-5 fighter jets.
The US-made F-5s, which first flew in the 1950s, are part of Iran's outdated air force.
Tehran relies heavily on its missile and drone arsenal, rather than crewed fighter aircraft.
A new satellite image taken of an Iranian airbase showed a handful of decades-old, American-made F-5 fighter jets, offering a look at Tehran's antiquated air force.
The photo, captured Tuesday by US commercial satellite imaging company Maxar Technologies and obtained by Business Insider amid Israeli strikes on Iranian military assets, showed six F-5s on alert and dispersed around the Dezful airbase in western Iran.
The section of the base did not appear to have been targeted by Israel, which has spent the past six days launching airstrikes against Iranian nuclear and military facilities. The intensive bombing campaign has caused widespread damage across the country and killed a number of senior commanders.
There are several variants of the F-5 supersonic light fighter made by the US aircraft manufacturer Northrop Corporation. The early F-5 took its first flight in the late 1950s and was introduced the following decade.
The US procured thousands of these aircraft for use by allies. Iran, once an American ally, acquired F-5A/B Freedom Fighters and F-5E/F Tiger IIs in the 1960s and 1970s, building its air force before the 1979 Iranian Revolution tanked relations between the two countries, ending logistical, maintenance, and technological support.
Iran is estimated to have had a few dozen F-5s in service in recent years, with many of the originally purchased fighter jets non-operational or long since disposed of amid strains on maintaining the aircraft. The US military, specifically the Air Force and Navy, still uses the jet for training purposes, though not for active combat operations.
Iran's air force is fairly outdated and obsolete due to international sanctions and other embargoes that prevent the country from obtaining more high-tech weaponry but also critical components and parts. Aside from the F-5, Tehran operates other aging aircraft, including the Soviet-era Su-24 and MiG-29, and the American-made F-14 Tomcat.
An Iranian official said earlier this year that Tehran had purchased newer Su-35 aircraft from Russia, but it's unclear how many, if any, have been delivered.
The Israel Defense Forces said on Monday that it had bombed two F-14s at Tehran's main airport, marking what it described as "another loss of strategic weaponry for the enemy." The IDF also confirmed on Wednesday that it struck five Iranian attack helicopters.
Limited in its airpower, Iran has invested heavily in developing a large arsenal of ballistic missiles and attack drones.
By contrast, the Israeli Air Force operates newer and more powerful aircraft, such as the F-35I stealth fighter and the older but highly effective F-16 and F-15 jets. Israeli officials said that the country has, with its mix of fourth- and fifth-generation fighters, achieved air superiority over swaths of Iran, including Tehran, after battering its air defenses.
Amid fighting between Israel and Iran, another image captured by Maxar on Tuesday showed what appeared to be several of Iran's Shahed-136 attack drones on and next to trailers parked on a taxiway at Dezful.
Iran has used its notorious Shahed-136s in its ongoing retaliatory attacks against Israel. Tehran has also sent many of these drones, also described as loitering munitions, to Russia, which has used them to carry out strikes on Ukrainian cities and civilian infrastructure. Russia also produces its own domestic version of the Shahed-136, which has increasingly become a problem for Ukraine.
Israeli combat aircraft have launched hundreds of airstrikes across Iran since Friday, targeting the country's nuclear program, its leading scientists, senior commanders, air defenses, missile launchers, weapons production sites, bases, and other military infrastructure.
Iran has, in turn, retaliated against Israel by launching around 400 ballistic missiles and hundreds of drones.
Read the original article on Business Insider
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNN
17 minutes ago
- CNN
Poll shows GOP and Democrats are united on this key issue regarding Iran
CNN senior data analyst Harry Enten breaks down a May poll that shows where Americans stand on Iran getting a nuclear weapon and how they feel about potential US military involvement as a deterrent.
Yahoo
19 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy just got brutally honest about AI — and other bosses may follow his lead
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy told employees that AI will reduce head count as the company gets "scrappier." Management commentators say his memo might open the floodgates for more AI job-loss talk. Vague AI messaging risks losing top talent, one workplace commentator told BI. Amazon's CEO just said the quiet part out loud: AI is coming for plenty of jobs — and other bosses may soon follow his lead. On Tuesday, Andy Jassy said in a memo that employees should figure out "how to get more done with scrappier teams" and that the move toward AI would eventually "reduce our total corporate workforce." Amazon, with about 1.5 million workers, is the second-largest private employer in the US. Workplace commentators told Business Insider that Jassy's candor may prompt other leaders to feel comfortable telling their employees who — or what — will replace them. Marlo Lyons, an author and certified executive coach, said Amazon's directness might encourage other companies to follow suit. "I think if you have a big company that's talking about AI, then it does make it easier for smaller companies to talk about AI — this is basically culture modeling," she told BI. "In some ways, it might scare you, but at the same time, it should make you say, 'OK, at least my company's being honest to me about it,'" Lyons said. Other CEOs have also become increasingly transparent about AI expectations, although few have explicitly said it would reduce their existing workforce. Shopify CEO Tobi Lütke said in a memo in April that "AI usage is now a baseline expectation," and that before managers make a hire, they must first prove that AI couldn't do the job better. Klarna CEO Sebastian Siemiatkowski said in December last year that the fintech had stopped hiring because "AI can already do all of the jobs that we as humans do." Meanwhile, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said earlier this month that AI agents were already beginning to act like junior-level coworkers and may soon be able to deliver business solutions. "It'll send shivers down the backs of employees," said Cary Cooper, professor of organizational psychology and health at Manchester Business School in the UK, of the Jassy memo. "I think it'll open it up for HR to now have discussions with senior management about how we deal with this — the introduction of AI in our business." Cooper warned companies should be specific with staff about which jobs might be affected and what retraining opportunities are available, or risk "regrettable turnover" — losing the talent they most want to keep. Thomas Roulet, professor of organisational sociology and leadership at the University of Cambridge, told BI that linking layoffs with AI was not new — even if Jassy's openness felt like a turning point. "Firms do not hesitate to use AI as a reason to downsize, whether it is an excuse or an opportunity," he said. "Very often, they downsize before even thinking what they will replace with AI, due to market pressures." "AI is a great scapegoat for a lot of unpopular strategic choices at the moment," Roulet added. "There is enormous pressure on companies to show that they are able to replace employees with AI tools," Peter Cappelli, a professor of management at The Wharton School, told BI. "But the evidence indicates that it is very difficult to do so." Klarna, for example, made headlines in 2022 when the company laid off 700 employees, mostly customer service agents, in favor of AI. In May, the financial services company had to hire some back to improve its services. In Roulet's view, many companies that have already cut jobs in favor of AI were moving too fast. "Unfortunately, many firms think of workforce reduction and engage with such reductions before they even think about AI replacement," said Roulet. "The reality is that bringing in AI into work takes a lot of learning cycles and trial and error — it does not appear clearly overnight." Read the original article on Business Insider
Yahoo
19 minutes ago
- Yahoo
The True Cost of Data Centers
Business Insider's "The True Cost of Data Centers" series explores the impacts — on water, power, pollution, and local economies — of Big Tech's race to dominate a future built on AI. The AI boom has sparked a rush to build data center infrastructure across the US. By Business Insider's count, companies had filed permits to build 311 data centers nationwide as of 2010. By the end of 2024, that number had nearly quadrupled to 1,240. These data centers are extremely resource-intensive; the largest can consume as much power as a city and up to several million gallons of water a day. Collectively, BI estimates, US data centers could soon consume more electricity than Poland, with a population of 36.6 million, used in 2023. Federal estimates expect data cennter power demand to as much as triple over the next three years. This surging electricity demand is driving utilities to torpedo renewable energy goals and rely on fossil fuels, pushing data centers' air-pollution-related estimated public health costs to between $5.7 billion and $9.2 billion annually. Despite the centers' enormous water needs, tech companies have located 40% of them in areas with high water scarcity. Cities and states give away millions in tax breaks to build data centers, with relatively few full-time jobs promised in return — and locals are left living next to industrial complexes that operate 24/7. Much of the public conversation today focuses on the promise of AI. Business Insider's "The True Cost of Data Centers" found that its impacts are already here. Read the original article on Business Insider
