Venezuela transferred at least one F-16 to Iran

[NutLoose]

I bet there are some concerns in the US if this proves true.

see

Alert 5 » Venezuela transferred at least one F-16 to Iran - Military Aviation News (http://alert5.com/2012/06/25/venezuela-supplied-at-least-one-f-16-to-iran/#more-17078)

Irn recibi un caza F-16 de Venezuela para calibrar sus radares - ABC.es (http://www.abc.es/20120622/internacional/abcp-iran-recibio-caza-venezuela-20120622.html)

[Willard Whyte]

They've been threatening to do this since '06. At least it was only an early model. They were delivered in ~1983, the ban on arms sales (US-Vz) has been in effect for about 6 years, although apparently US had stopped transferring 'sensitive upgrades' for the '16 for a while longer.

Amusingly back in '06 spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters in Washington. "Without the written consent of the United States, you can't transfer these defense articles, and in this case F-16s, to a third country,"

[SASless]

We should have located that F-16 and tossed in a Cruise Missile to boot!

[cokecan]

if they were delivered in '83, then i one assumes they aren't quite a generational leap onwards from the F-14's sold to the Shah just before the Islamic revolution - Iran getting its mits on an RQ-170, now thats unfortunate.

story about nothing.

[Just a spotter]

Given that the Iranians have fledgling indigenous weapons & jet fighter programmes, I suspect that getting their hands on someone else's work, in this case possibly an F-16, to 'tear down' would be of some interest.

Isn't that how most of the worlds current main manufacturers & air forces built up a good portion of their knowledge?

JAS

[Heathrow Harry]

always useful to have a pattern aircraft to look at but I suspect they could find out as much by just trawling the literature in the USA

If it had been an F-15S or similar it might be a real concern but an old F-16.......... na.....

[Willard Whyte]

Isn't that how most of the worlds current main manufacturers & air forces built up a good portion of their knowledge?

Certainly the Tupolev Design Bureau did after 5 B-29s had to land in Russia at various times during the war. They built over 800 'copies'.

Soviet supplied Chinese Tu-4s operated until 1988.

[Thelma Viaduct]

Who do the US government think they are, Apple???? :}

[Milo Minderbinder]

How strange that this press report /federal charge should appear today.
South Floridians Charged With Selling F-16 Parts To The Venezuelan Air Force - Miami News - Riptide 2.0 (http://blogs.miaminewtimes.com/riptide/2012/06/south_floridians_charged_with.php)

One wonders at the timing - the suggestion that these smuggled parts may have gone to Iran (via Venezuela) should certainly make any upcoming jury pay attention....

Also Haaretz are claiming the Iranians wanted the F-16 to help calibrate defences in advance of any attack, rather than as a manufacturing aid