Iran's first Starfighters

**Spinners** · January 21, 2022

Lockheed F-104A Starfighter - 302nd Fighter Squadron, Imperial Iranian Air Force, 1966

The F-104A was the initial production single-seat interceptor version of the Lockheed Starfighter and entered service with the USAF in 1958 but was soon relegated to Air National Guard units in the early 1960's although a small number were retained by the USAF Air Defense Command.

From 1963 many surviving F-104A's were released for export to Iran, Jordan, Pakistan, and Taiwan. The Imperial Iranian Air Force (IIAF) received its first 16 F-104A's and 4 F-104B's in early 1965 to form the 302nd Fighter Squadron which was declared operational in July 1965. The IIAF were satisfied enough with their F-104A's to order 120 F-104G's and 24 TF-104G's all of which came from the Canadair production line. As the F-104G's entered IIAF service the F-104A's were initially relegated to training purposes but from 1970 they were used exclusively by the IIAF's aerobatic display team, the Golden Crown.

After the Iranian revolution in 1979, the new Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF) was moderately successful at keeping Western fighters in service but the F-104A's were quick to deteriorate through a lack of spares and did not remain in service to participate in the Iran-Iraq war that started in September 1980.