Iran forces crippled by embargo on spares

Press, 24 September 1980, Page 8

Iran forces crippled by embargo on spares

By

RODNEY PINDER,

NZPA-Reuter correspondent London ■ Iran’s ability to defend itself against Iraqi air attack has probably been crippled as a result of its seizure of American hostages last year, international defence experts have said in London.

They said that Iran’s Air Force and anti-aircraft missile systems were entirely United States and Britishbuilt — and . starved of spares and expert maintenance o advice for months through a Western boycott imposed in retaliation for the holding of the American Embassy hostages.

President Carter ordered a trade embargo last April and most other Western allies and Japan took similar action in May and June. The British Foreign Office yesterday said that nd British arms or equipment had been supplied to Iran since last November.

The defence experts said that the late Shah had bought the most modem United States fighter interceptors and United States and British ground-to-air missile systems. Such equipment was highly complex and required constant care and attention to be completely operational, they said.

Revolutionary purges of Air Force and other military

officers with Western connections and training acquired during the Shah’s reign would also have handicapped Iran’s defensive capability particularly against air attack, they said. Iraq, equipped mainly by the Soviet Union, would be unlikely to experience similar problems of military supplies or expertise, the specialists said. Soviet and Eastern European bloc military advisers were on call in Bagdad and Iraq’s predominantly Soviet built planes could be safely assumed to have plenty of spares and weaponry, they said.

The planes reported to have attacked the military sector of Teheran’s international airport have not been identified.

But according to the London-based International Institute of Strategic Studies the Iraqi Air Force has 12 Tu22 supersonic bombers, capable of carrying bombs and air-to-surface missiles up to 1900 km at speeds of 1480 km/h. The Iraqis also have 10 veteran twin-jet Ilyushin light bombers, which can each carry 2000 kg of bombs 2500 km at up to 935 km/h. In addition, Iraq operates 80 Mig23 ground-attack fighters which can carry 3000 kg of rockets and missiles 2160 km at more than 1760 km/h, 40 Supau fighter-

bombers and 60 Su2o strike aircraft which can deliver 5000 kg of bombs, rockets, and missiles.

The Shah’s Iran was- supplied with 80 ultra-modem United States Fl 4 Tomcat interceptors by the United States to form the backbone of its defences against hostile aircraft. The planes were equipped with the latest Hughes Aircraft Company Phoenix missile system for aerial combat.

Assuming it is well maintained, the Phoenix is judged by defence experts to be the best air-to-air missile system known to be operating in the world.

The Fl 4 is a highly complex aircraft and lack of spares and expert maintenance was believed to have left many of Iran’s languishing on the ground, the defence specialists said. British-built Rapier and Tigercat missiles were supplied to the Shah’s Iran by the dozen to defend military bases- — picked out as targets today by Iraq, according to official announcements.

The London-based experts would not hazard a guess as to how many of them were now operational, starved as they have been of maintenance attention and spare parts by their manufacturers, in compliance with the United States-inspired boycott.