People
Babaei, Abbas
Sajjad Naderi-Pour
3 بازدید
Abbas Babaei was a pilot and the Deputy Commander of Operations in the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF). He was martyred on August 7, 1988, in Sardasht, West Azerbaijan, when his aircraft was hit by an air defense system. Babaei was born on December 5, 1950, in Qazvin.[1] His father was Esmaeil, and his mother was Fatemeh Khoeini. He completed his primary and secondary education before joining the Air Force in 1969.[2] He then moved to the United States to undergo pilot training for flying the F-5 fighter aircraft, successfully completing the program in 1972. When Iran’s Air Force was equipped with advanced F-14 fighter jets, Babaei was selected to fly this aircraft and was transferred to Isfahan Air Base.[3]
On August 26, 1975, Abbas Babaei married his cousin, Maliheh Hekmat. They had three children: a daughter, Salma, and two sons, Hossain and Muhammad.[4]
During the peak of the people’s uprising against the Pahlavi regime in 1979, Babaei actively joined the revolutionary movement. After the victory of the Islamic Revolution, he became the head of the Islamic Association at Isfahan Air Base.[5]
On July 29, 1981, following a recommendation from Ayatollah Khamenei, Imam Khomeini’s representative in the Supreme Defense Council, Babaei was promoted to lieutenant colonel and became the commander of the 8th Isfahan Air Base. During his tenure, he not only focused on military duties but also contributed to the development of surrounding villages, using personal funds and financial support from colleagues to provide drinking water, electricity, healthcare facilities, and more for the local people.[6]
On November 30, 1983, Babaei was promoted to colonel and appointed Deputy Commander of Operations of the IRIAF. He was relocated to Tehran. Despite his new administrative responsibilities, he continued his engagement in military operations, successfully completing over sixty missions between 1985 and 1987. With over 3,000 flight hours on various fighter jets, he spent much of his time on the western and southern battlefronts during the Iran-Iraq War.[7]
Among his military achievements was the establishment of the Raad Command Center,[8] improving defense systems,[9] and utilizing the F-14 as a strike aircraft.[10]
The Raad Command Center, led by Babaei, with Mustafa Ardestani as deputy and Mansour Sattari in charge of air defense, was responsible for organizing pre-operation meetings to discuss defense strategies and aircraft deployment to Iraq. The center succeeded in strengthening air defense systems, reducing friendly fire incidents, and inflicting heavy losses on enemy aircraft by employing Hawk missiles.[11]
One of Babaei’s innovative military strategies was “radar silence,” in which pilots would fly at low altitudes and conduct reconnaissance and bombing missions while turning off all radio communications. This method increased the accuracy of strikes on enemy positions and made it nearly impossible for the enemy air defense systems to intercept the Iranian fighter jets. After implementing this tactic, Iranian aircraft were no longer hit by enemy missiles.[12]
During the Iran-Iraq War, Babaei proposed an airstrike on a U.S. warship in the Persian Gulf, which had been deployed to support the Baathist regime. However, this proposal was not approved by the Supreme Defense Council.[13] On April 28, 1987, Babaei was promoted to brigadier general.[14]
On August 6, 1987, coinciding with the Islamic holiday of Eid al-Adha, Babaei flew an F-5 fighter jet from Tabriz Air Base into Iraqi airspace for a reconnaissance mission. While returning to Iran, he was mistakenly shot down by Iranian air defense and attained martyrdom.[15]
The body of Major General Abbas Babaei was laid to rest on August 7, 1987. Imam Khomeini’s representative and Friday prayer leader of Qazvin, Hojatoleslam Barikbin, along with the Minister of the Revolutionary Guard Corps, Mohsen Rafiqdoost, Commander of IRIAF Mansour Sattari, and the people of Qazvin attended his funeral, which took place in the Martyrs’ Cemetery of the city.[16]
In his will, Babaei wrote: “By God, I feel ashamed to write a will when thinking about the martyrs and their families... O God, grant martyrdom to me, my children, and my wife. O God, I entrust my wife and children to You. O God, I have nothing in this world; whatever exists is Yours. My dear father and mother, we owe so much to this Revolution.”[17]
After the Iran-Iraq War ended, on February 7, 1990, the Commander-in-Chief of the Iranian Armed Forces awarded Babaei’s family the Fath Medal.[18] Additionally, in 2021, the "Medal of Sacrifice" was presented to his family.[19] In honor of Babaei’s contributions to the development of the surrounding villages, the residents of a village near the 8th Tactical Air Base renamed their village “Abbasabad.”[20]
In Qazvin, a square has been named after Babaei, where his commemorative statue is placed. Several books have been published about his life, including Parvaz ta Binahayat by Muhammad Taheri-Azar (2017), Shaheed Abbas Babaei by Seyyed Mustafa Hossaini (2018), which has been translated into Arabic, English, and French, Chehel Hadith by Seyyed Hassan Firouzabadi (2013), Babaei be Revayat-e Hamsar-e Shaheed by Ali Moravvej (2013), Parvaz-e Sefid by Davood Bakhtiari Daneshvar (2001), and Parvaz-e Asheqane by Kambiz Fathi (2012). Moreover, a television series titled Shoq-e Parvaz, portraying Babaei’s life, was produced in 24 episodes, and funded by the Foundation of Martyrs and Veterans Affairs. According to a survey by the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, this series was recognized as the best in the "Sacred Defense" genre.[21]
[1] Shahed Yaran, No. 33, August 2008, pp. 4 and 28.
[2] Amjadian, Alireza, Samavati, Alireza, Biography of Martyr Pilot Abbas Babaei, Tehran: Nahaja Strategic Publications, p. 5.
[3] Shahed Yaran, ibid., p. 4.
[4] Keyhan Newspaper, August 7, 1987, p. 3.
[5] Shahed Yaran, ibid., p. 4.
[6] Ibid., pp. 4 and 5.
[7] Ibid., p. 5.
[8] Ibid., pp. 5 and 9.
[9] Ibid., p. 26.
[10] Ibid., p. 10.
[11] Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force Information Website: https://nahaja.aja.ir/portal/home/?news/58454
[12] Ibid
[13] Ibid
[14] Shahed Yaran, ibid., p. 5
[15] Ibid
[16] Islamic Republic of Iran Newspaper, August 8, 1987, p. 12.
[17] Shahed Yaran, ibid., p. 80
[18] Navid Shahed website: https://navidesahed.com/fa/news/267457
[19] In the presence of Major General Mousavi, the Medal of Dedication was awarded to the martyred pilots Babaei, Doran, Lashkari, Nojeh, and Zolfaqari. Islamic Republic News Agency, News Code 84449908
[20] Shahed Yaran, ibid., p. 30
[21] Jamjam website: https://jamejamonline.ir/fa/news/507129/
