Reports have indicated that Shafaq will be a sub-sonic aircraft but this might be improved, and it will have a skin of radar-absorbing material according to Iranian officials. Production is expected to start in 2008.The design for a new Iranian light attack aircraft the Shafaq (Shafagh) appears to be a replay of a light fighter design developed more than 10 years ago at Moscow, Russia. This two-seat Advanced training and Attack aircraft appears to be based on the Russian-Iranian "Project Integral" and are fitted with Russian ejection seats. Reportedly there are plans to produce three versions -- one two-seat trainer/light strike version and two one-seat fighter-bomber versions.
The Shafaq is an advanced Light Attack/Trainer aircraft designed by the Aviation University Complex (AUC), part of the Malek Ashtar University of Technology. At the start of the program Iran received help from Russia and the aircraft was known as Integral. Russia later backed away from this project due to several reasons and Iran carried on the project by itself and the aircraft became known as Shafaq. The Shafaq is a sub-sonic aircraft, 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.
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. 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 is scheduled for 2008.
