Iranian military industry

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Iran's military industry has taken great strides in the past 25 years, and now manufactures many types of sophisticated arms and equipment. Iranian officials say that, as of 2006, Iran had exported weapons to 57 countries, including NATO members, [1][2]. They also say the country sold $100 million worth of military equipment in 2003. [3]

Shafaq jetfighter
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Shafaq jetfighter

Contents

[edit] History

Iran's military industry was born under the last Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. In assembly lines established by American firms such as Bell, Litton and Northrop, Iranian workers built airplanes, helicopters, guided missiles, electronic components and tanks. [4]

In 1973, the Iran Electronics Industries (IEI) was founded to organize efforts to assemble and repair foreign-delivered weapons. [5] All of Iran's weapons before the Islamic revolution were imported from the United States and Europe. Between 1971 and 1975, the Shah went on a buying spree, ordering $8 billion in weapons from the United States alone. This alarmed the United States Congress, which strengthened a 1968 law on arms exports in 1976 and renamed it the Arms Export Control Act. Still, the United States continued to sell large amounts of weapons to Iran until the 1979 Islamic Revolution. [6]

In 1977, the Iranian Defense Industries Organization began to work on missiles jointly with Israel in Project Flower and requested a joint missile development program with the United States which was rejected.[7] In 1979, the country took the first step into manufacturing by reverse engineering Soviet RPG-7, BM21, and SAM-7 missiles.

Panha 2091
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Panha 2091

After the Islamic revolution and the start of the Iran-Iraq War, economic sanctions and an international arms embargo led by the United States coupled with a high demand for military hardware forced Iran to rely on its domestic arms industry for repair and spare parts. [8] The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps was put in charge of re-organising the domestic military industry. Under their command Iran's military industry was dramatically expanded, and with the Ministry of Defence pouring capital into the missile industry, Iran soon had an arsenal of missiles. [9]

Since 1992, it also has produced its own tanks, armored personnel carriers, missiles, a submarine, and a fighter plane.[47]

[edit] Defense production

Kowsar missile
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Kowsar missile
Boragh Armored Personel carrier
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Boragh Armored Personel carrier
Iranian designed Khaybar KH2002
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Iranian designed Khaybar KH2002

The following list consists of weapons systems that Iran claims to manufacture domestically.

[edit] Aircraft

[edit] Unmanned aerial vehicles

[edit] Aircraft upgrades and components

  • Iran claims to have upgraded its US-made F-4, F-5, and F-14 fighter jets, and produced space parts including tires, avionics, and engine components.[28][29]

[edit] Missiles

[edit] Medium range (MRBM)

Medium range missiles are considered to have a range between 1000 and 3000 kilometers.

[edit] Short range (SRBM)

Short range missiles are considered to have a range up to 1000 kilometers.

[edit] Anti-tank missiles

[edit] Air-Defence

[edit] Bombs

  • Qadr - copy of U.S. Mk 84 electro-optically guided glide-bomb [48]
  • Zoobin - copy of U.S. M-117 bomb electro-optically guided glide-bomb [49]

[edit] Air-to-air missiles

[edit] Naval missiles

  • Noor - copy of Chinese C-802.[53]
  • Tondar - copy of Chinese C-801. Exact production status is unclear and the designation may refer to more than one missile. According to some sources [54] Iran received blueprints from China in compensation for a scrapped deal to sell the missile under US pressure in the tanker wars. [55] [56]

[57]

[edit] Torpedo

[edit] Armored Vehicles


[edit] Artillery

[edit] Small Arms

  • MPT-9 - Tondar submachine gun - copy of MP5 (H & K licenced production)[57]
  • KH-2002 - 5.56mm bullpup conversion kit for the M-16 [58][59]
  • S-5.56 - copy of M-16 [60]
  • KL-7.62 - copy of AKM (unlicensed knockoff) [61]
  • G3A6 - copy of G3 7.62 mm (H & K licenced production)[62]
  • MGA3 - copy of MG3 7.62 mm (Rheinmetal licenced production) [63] [64]
  • PKM-T80 - copy of Soviet PKM [65]
  • MGD-12.7mm - copy of Soviet DShK [66]
  • Nakhjir - copy of Soviet SVD [67]

[edit] Submarines

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ [1]
  2. ^ [2]
  3. ^ [3]
  4. ^ [4]
  5. ^ [5][6]
  6. ^ [7]
  7. ^ [http://www.nti.org/e_research/profiles/Iran/Missile/1788_1789.html NTI:Missile Chronology: 1960-1984]
  8. ^ [8]
  9. ^ [9]
  10. ^ GlobalSecurity.org Azarakhsh (Lightning)
  11. ^ [10] GlobalSecurity.org - Tazarv (Eagle) / Thunder / Tondar / Dorna / Dorneh
  12. ^ [11] Payvand - Iranian Air Force Highly Equipped
  13. ^ [12]
  14. ^ http://www.pakistanidefenceforum.com/lofiversion/index.php/t57959.html
  15. ^ [13]
  16. ^ [14]
  17. ^ [15] GlobalSecurity.org - Tazarv (Eagle) / Thunder / Tondar / Dorna / Dorneh
  18. ^ [16] Payvand - Iranian Air Force Highly Equipped
  19. ^ [17] GlobalSecurity.org - Parastu
  20. ^ [18] GlobalSecurity.org - Tazarv (Eagle) / Thunder / Tondar / Dorna / Dorneh
  21. ^ [19] Payvand - Iranian Air Force Highly Equipped
  22. ^ [20] GlobalSecurity.org - Tazarv (Eagle) / Thunder / Tondar / Dorna / Dorneh
  23. ^ [21]
  24. ^ [22]
  25. ^ [23]
  26. ^ [24]
  27. ^ [25]
  28. ^ http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/templateC05.php?CID=2422
  29. ^ [26] GlobalSecurity.Org - Simorgh F-5 Upgrade
  30. ^ [27]
  31. ^ [28]
  32. ^ http://www.fas.org/nuke/guide/iran/missile/shahab-2.htm] FAS: Shahab-2
  33. ^ [29]
  34. ^ [30]
  35. ^ [31]
  36. ^ [32]
  37. ^ Janes Defence - Fadjr-5 artillery rocket ystem gets new chassis
  38. ^ "In the late 1980s, the North Korean-produced 240mm M-1985 multiple rocket launcher (MRL) was exported to Iran and subsequently produced under license (with minor changes) by Shahid Bagheri Industries as the Fajr-3 (a.k.a., Fadjr-3)." Vital Perspective (2006), "Military Briefing on Hezbollah's Missile Capabilities: Examining the Fajr, Zelzal". URL accessed 2006-08-02.
  39. ^ "Fajr-3 has the same caliber, range and warhead weight as three known North Korean systems." GlobalSecurity.org (2006), "Iranian Artillery Rockets". URL accessed 2006-08-02.
  40. ^ http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/world/iran/parchin.htm
  41. ^ [33]
  42. ^ [34]
  43. ^ [35]
  44. ^ [36]
  45. ^ [37]
  46. ^ http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,216070,00.html
  47. ^ http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2006-09/27/content_5145842.htm
  48. ^ http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/iran/qadr.htm
  49. ^ http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/iran/qadr.htm
  50. ^ [38]
  51. ^ [39]
  52. ^ [40]
  53. ^ FAS Military Analysis Network - C-802
  54. ^ [China & Iran ancient partners in a post imperial world, John W. Garver pages 166-221]
  55. ^ Duncan Lennox, Jane's Strategic Weapon Systems Issue 44, page 66
  56. ^ [41]
  57. ^ [China & Iran ancient partners in a post imperial world, John W. Garver pages 166-221]
  58. ^ [42]
  59. ^ [43]
  60. ^ [44]
  61. ^ [45]
  62. ^ [46]


Military of the Islamic Republic of Iran The Islamic Republic of Iran
Iranian Army | Iranian Navy | Iranian Air Force | IRGC
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