IAR 99

The IAR 99 Șoim (Hawk) is an advanced trainer and light attack aircraft designed and produced by the Romanian aircraft manufacturer Avioane Craiova. It is capable of performing front line roles, including those of close air support and aerial reconnaissance. Development of the IAR 99 begun in 1975, and the prototype conducted its maiden flight on 21 December 1985. Serial production commenced two years later. The aircraft is of semi-monocoque design, with tapered wings and a swept-back tail unit. A large blade-type antenna installed beneath the nose on the port side of the fuselage gives the IAR 99 a distinctive appearance. Introduced by the Romanian Air Force during the late 1980s, the IAR 99 gradually displaced both the Aero L-29 Delfin and Aero L-39 Albatros as the primary jet trainer of the service. Since its introduction, various modifications and variants of the IAR 99 have been implemented or proposed. Various small changes made during the 1990s were centred around boosting safety and lowering maintenance demands, as well as to adapt it for use as the lead-in trainer for Romania's MiG-21 Lancer fleet. A more extensive upgrade involving American-sourced avionics was worked on, including the adaption of three IAR 99s as flying testbeds and aerial demonstrators, but was ultimately not rolled out to production aircraft. During the early 2020s, the existing IAR 99 airframes were modernised for continued service with the Romanian Air Force. Despite marketing and development efforts, no export sales have been secured for the type to date.