Layers of deceit Layers of deceit

Iranian ‘jet’ outed as Photoshop chop job

The Atlantic says a recently released image of the Islamic Republic’s advanced stealth fighter is a fake

By Gabe Fisher 13 February 2013, 2:16 pm

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Image of a Iranian Qahar 313 fighter alleged to be photoshopped into the foreground (photo credit: screen capture www.khouznews.ir)

Iran’s latest attempt to prove that its homemade fighter jet is real backfired Tuesday after bloggers alleged that a picture released of the Qahar F-313 is nothing but another failed Photoshop gambit.

That image, released by the state-run Khouz News Agency, shows a Qahar F-313 soaring over mountainous, snowy terrain allegedly in Iran, but according to digital image experts and an Iranian opposition blogger cited by the Atlantic, the picture is a composite created from a stock mountain image upon which is superimposed a separate shot of the jet fighter.

After Iran dramatically unveiled the Qahar F-313 last week, aviation experts around the world were quick to point out the many flaws in the released images, and some doubted that such a vehicle could fly at all.

It seems to be par for the course for the Islamic Republic.

Iran has been caught relying on photo-editing software to boast of its military might in the past, including a picture of a missile launch that appeared to show the same rocket being fired twice.