Iranian Boeing E-3K AWACS

[Deleted member 2278]

The proposed Iranian E-3 variant would have been designated the E-3K. Apparently the Carter Administration received a fair amount of heat over technology security concerns. The document below lists the resulting differences between the proposed IIAF and USAF variants.

StateDeptcable1977-197839 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

archive.org

 

[isayyo2]

Thanks for posting these, it's been fascinating to read

 

[Archibald]

The proposed Iranian E-3 variant would have been designated the E-3K. Apparently the Carter Administration received a fair amount of heat over technology security concerns. The document below lists the resulting differences between the proposed IIAF and USAF variants.

StateDeptcable1977-197839 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

archive.org

The Mullah for sure would have sold Khomeini and Khameini and all the other Kh*meini in Iran to get their ugly hands on these aircraft. And Saddam, imagine !

 

[Pioneer]

The proposed Iranian E-3 variant would have been designated the E-3K. Apparently the Carter Administration received a fair amount of heat over technology security concerns. The document below lists the resulting differences between the proposed IIAF and USAF variants.

StateDeptcable1977-197839 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

archive.org

I'm somewhat surprised that President Carter's Administration would have sold, let alone encourage such state-of-the-art force multiplier like the Boeing E-3 being acquired by a non NATO ally period. I would have thought if such a requirement was deemed needing, he's administration would have stipulated the likes of the Grumman E-2 Hawkeye regardless.
I guess you can't hold back business, as so apply demonstrated by the F-14 Tomcat sale to Iran.....

Regards
Pioneer

 

[TomS]

]

I'm somewhat surprised that President Carter's Administration would have sold, let alone encourage such state-of-the-art force multiplier like the Boeing E-3 being acquired by a non NATO ally period. I would have thought if such a requirement was deemed needing, he's administration would have stipulated the likes of the Grumman E-2 Hawkeye regardless.
I guess you can't hold back business, as so apply demonstrated by the F-14 Tomcat sale to Iran.....

Regards
Pioneer

The hope was that Iran would stand as the second pillar (next to Israel) in an anti-Soviet, pro-Western alliance in the Middle East. Given that Iran literally bordered the USSR, they would play a huge role in keeping the Soviets out of the Middle East oil fields. So they needed the best equipment they could be given. Plus they could afford it and actually man it .... to a degree anyway.

 

[Hood]

E-3K would be a new designation too, never seen reference to this before.

 

[TomS]

E-3K would be a new designation too, never seen reference to this before.

It is odd; usually the K suffix was reserved for British aircraft (F-111K, for example).

 

[Archibald]

Maybe the -K stands for "Khomeini" ? (sorry...)

 

[CJGibson]

E-3K would be a new designation too, never seen reference to this before.

It is odd; usually the K suffix was reserved for British aircraft (F-111K, for example).

Not necessarily. The Skyhawks for the RNZAF were A-4Ks.

Chris

 

[TomS]

E-3K would be a new designation too, never seen reference to this before.

It is odd; usually the K suffix was reserved for British aircraft (F-111K, for example).

Not necessarily. The Skyhawks for the RNZAF were A-4Ks.

Chris

K for Kommonwealth obviously.

Seriously, good point. The national suffixes were weird and very inconsistently applied.

 

[Archibald]

"K" was for "Kiwi" or "Kahu" (the latter from memory, and don't ask me what it means)

 

[TomS]

"K" was for "Kiwi" or "Kahu" (the latter from memory, and don't ask me what it means)

K was probably for Kiwi in that case (along with the P-3K) But like I said, there were a bunch of K for United Kingdom uses as well (F-4K, F-111K, some others I'm forgetting). And of course, now it's K for Korea (F-15K). Like I said, the national suffix idea is weird and really inconsistent in application.

Project Kahu was the 1980s upgrade program with radar and new wings, and all the bells and whistles. The word is the Maori name for a species of swamp harrier or hawk.

 

[Hood]

(F-4K, F-111K, some others I'm forgetting).

The other one you were thinking of is the C-130K.
But saying that, the F-4K was only the FAA version, the RAF had the F-4M...

So yes, there was some inconsistency but I presume they were allocated as and when and as they were unofficial US designations I'm not sure they would have worried too much about it.

But back to the topic, the Saudi 707 tankers were given the weird KE-3A designation so its likely things went slightly awry at this point in the designation office.

 

[CJGibson]

 

[Yellow Palace]

I'm somewhat surprised that President Carter's Administration would have sold, let alone encourage such state-of-the-art force multiplier like the Boeing E-3 being acquired by a non NATO ally period. I would have thought if such a requirement was deemed needing, he's administration would have stipulated the likes of the Grumman E-2 Hawkeye regardless.

For all that, the sale of E-3 aircraft to Iran actually was approved, after a fairly involved Congressional battle. Iran did look at the E-2 and at Nimrod AEW; attempts to export the former had always been blocked, too, except to Israel, and Iran would have needed more of thm.

Quantities are interesting: the Shah initially wanted seven, a joint US-Iranian study found that nine or ten were needed, Carter initially favoured five, and they wound up back at seven - though DoD thought that an extra two might be justified at a later date:

https://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/54/Documents/FOID/Reading%20Room/MDR_Releases/FY15/15-M-0287.pdf

https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CHRG-95shrg96672/pdf/CHRG-95shrg96672.pdf

Incidentally, there's a fantastic line from Senator Eagleton in the Congressional records: So for what purpose [the Shah] is going to acquire all of this magnificent military gear, I can’t fathom myself.