The HESA Saeqeh or Saeqeh-80 (Thunderbolt) is an Iranian single seat, twin engine fighter jet. It is the second generation of the Iranian Azarakhsh fighter and, like the first generation, appears to be based on the United States F-5E. The Saeqeh is a joint product of the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force and the Iranian Ministry of Defense. The Saeqeh had the ability to track down enemy aircraft, engage in combat, target locations on the ground, and carry an assortment of weapons and ammunition. The first prototype of the jet was shown on state television making a test flight in July 2004. According to the translation by the Washington-Based Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) of a broadcast on Islamic Republic of Iran News Network (IRINN), the Saeqeh became operational on September 6, 2006, when it participated in an Iranian military wargame exercise called "Blow of Zulfiqar". In February 2010, the Iranian military has introduced a new squadron of domestically-manufactured Saeqeh fighter-bombers to the country’s Air Force to strengthen its deterrence power. In September 2011, Iran displayed the first squadron of Saeqeh (Thunderbolt) fighter jets produced during an air show staged during military parades at the beginning of the Week of Sacred Defense according to the FARS News Agency.

Thunderous

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