According to reports, the Shafaq will be a subsonic aircraft, but this might be changed. Additionally, Iranian officials have reported that the Shafaq will have a skin of radar-absorbing material.^[2]

This two-seat advanced training and attack aircraft appears to be based^[3] on the Russian-Iranian "Project Integral" and is fitted with Russian ejection seats. Reportedly, there are plans to produce three versions—a two-seat trainer/light strike version and two one-seat fighter-bomber versions.^[1]

The Shafaq is designed by the Aviation University Complex (AUC), part of the Malek-Ashtar University of Technology (MUT). At the start of the program, Iran received help from Russia^[3] and the aircraft was known as Integral. Russia later backed away from this project for several reasons^{[citation needed]} and Iran carried on the project by itself renaming it Shafaq. The Shafaq is designed as a sub-sonic aircraft,^[3] and made of radar-absorbing material. It has a large leading edge root extension (LERX) and a root aft of the wing which gives it an unusual circular sub-section.^[1]

A 1/7 scale model of the Shafaq has already completed testing in the AUC's wind tunnel and pictures have already been revealed which show that a full-scale model has already been built.^[3] The Shafaq will be built in different configurations including a two-seater trainer, a two-seater light Attack and a one-seater light attack variants. Roll-out of the first prototype was scheduled for 2008.^[2] The Shafaq's advanced cockpit features color MFDs and a Russian-made K-36D ejection seat.

According to AIO (Aerospace Industries Organisation), the aircraft was expected to be flight tested during 2017, and featuring twin, outwardly canted vertical fins. This type of a tail design has become a favoured aerodynamic feature of Iranian designers that dates back to the development of the reverse-engineered Iranian version of the Northrop F-5, the HESA Saeqeh.^[4]

Data from Trend^[5]

General characteristics

• Crew: 1 or 2
• Length: 10.84 m (35 ft 7 in)
• Wingspan: 10.45 m (34 ft 3 in)
• Height: 4.26 m (14 ft 0 in)
• Empty weight: 4,361 kg (9,614 lb)
• Max takeoff weight: 6,900 kg (15,212 lb)
• Powerplant: 1 × Klimov RD-33 turbofan engine, 50 kN (11,000 lbf) thrust

Performance

• Service ceiling: 16,780 m (55,050 ft)
• Rate of climb: 110 m/s (22,000 ft/min)

Armament

• Missiles: Sattar, Shahbaz or Fatter missiles

• Equipment of the Iranian Army

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

• IAIO Qaher-313
• Hongdu L-15
• Yakovlev Yak-130

Related lists

• List of fighter aircraft

• GlobalSecurity.org: Shafaq (Before Dawn)
• ainonline.com: Iran struggles to field a fighter
• aeronautics.ru: aka "Vityaz-2000": a Russian based JSF^{[dead link]}