Iranian defense 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. According to Iranian officials, the country sold $100 million worth of military equipment in 2003[1] and as of 2006 had exported weapons to 57 countries, including NATO members.[2][3].
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[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.
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
The following list consists of weapons systems that Iran claims to manufacture domestically.
[edit] Aircraft
- Azarakhsh - modified copy of U.S. F-5 Freedom Fighter, one-seat fighter aircraft, and combat capable trainer. [10][11][12]
- Saegheh 80 - fighter aircraft. [13] F-5e modified with twin vertical tail surface. An alternative designation for this aircraft is 'Owaz'.[14] Still in prototype stage.
- Shafaq - advanced light fighter/trainer, still in development. [15]
- Iran 140 - copy of Soviet Antonov An-140 [16]
- Parasto - propeller-driven training aircraft. Reverse engineered Beech F33 Bonanza. [17][18][19]
- Dorna - training aircraft [20][21]
- JT2-2 Tazarv - third generation of the Dorna mentioned above. [22] Still in prototype stage.
- Panha 2091 - a reverse engineered and upgraded copy of U.S. AH-1 Cobra. [23]
- Shabaviz 2061 - a reverse-engineered and upgraded copy of U.S. Bell 206 JetRanger. [24]
- Shabaviz 275 - a reverse-engineered and upgraded copy of U.S. Bell 205. [25]
[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 spare 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.
- Shahab-2 - tactical SRBM with a range of 750 km copy of Soviet SS-1d/Scud-C [32]
- Shahab-1 - tactical SRBM with a range of 350 km. copy of Soviet SS-1c/Scud-B [33]
- Fateh-110 - single-stage solid-propellant SRBM with a range of 200 km
- Zelzal-2 - single-stage solid-propellant SRBM with a range of 200 km [34][35][36]
- Fajr-5 - artillery rocket [37]
- Fajr-3 - artillery rocket[38][39]
[edit] Anti-tank missiles
- Raad - copy of Soviet AT-3 Sagger [40]
- RPG-7 copy of Soviet RPG-7. Iran is forecast to manufacture 2.88 percent of the worlds RPG-7's by 2014. [41]
- Saegheh - improved version of the RPG-7 [42]
- Toophan Copy of American TOW missile
- Toophan 2 Improved Toophan
[edit] Air-Defence
- Misagh-2 - copy of Chinese QW-1 Vanguard with some Chinese upgrades[43]
- Misagh-1 - copy of Chinese QW-1 Vanguard [44]
- Sayyad-1 - copy of Chinese SA-2[45]
- Fajr-27 - rapid fire cannon [46][47]
[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
- Fatter - copy of U.S. AIM-9 Sidewinder [50][51]
- Sedjil - copy of U.S. MIM-23 Hawk converted to be carried by aircraft [52]
[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]
[edit] Torpedo
- Hoot - A supercavitation torpedo. Some sources have said this is a copy of the Russian VA-111 Shkval. Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov has denied transferring technology of the Shkval to Iran. Iranian sources claim it to be indigenously developed [48] [49] [50]
[edit] Armored Vehicles
- Zulfiqar MBT hybrid of Soviet T-72 and U.S. M-60[51]
- Safir-74 - copy of Soviet T-55 with indigenous upgrades [52]
- T-72S - copy of Soviet T-72 [53]
- Cobra BMT-2
- Boragh - copy of Soviet BMP-1 with indigenous upgrades [54]
- Rakhsh - copy of Soviet BRDM [55]
[edit] Artillery
- Raad 1 - SP gun Chinese Type WZ 501/503 armored infantry fighting vehicle with Russian 122mm gun mounted on top.
- Raad 2 - SP gun copy of U.S. M109 howitzer[62]
[edit] Small Arms
- MPT-9 - Tondar submachine gun - copy of MP5 (H & K licenced production)[56]
- KH-2002 - 5.56mm bullpup conversion kit for the M-16 [57][58]
- S-5.56 - copy of M-16 [59]
- KL-7.62 - copy of AKM (unlicensed knockoff) [60]
- G3A6 - copy of G3 7.62 mm (H & K licenced production)[61]
- MGA3 - copy of MG3 7.62 mm (Rheinmetal licenced production) [62] [63]
- PKM-T80 - copy of Soviet PKM [64]
- MGD-12.7mm - copy of Soviet DShK [65]
- Nakhjir - copy of Soviet SVD [66]
[edit] Submarines
- Ghadir - [67]
[edit] See also
- Military of Iran
- Iran's missile forces
- Current Equipment of the Iranian Army
- Iran Aviation Industries Organization
- Defense Industries Organization (DIO)
- Iran Electronics Industries (IEI)
- Economy of Iran
[edit] External links
[edit] Notes
- ^ [1]
- ^ [2]
- ^ [3]
- ^ [4]
- ^ [5][6]
- ^ [7]
- ^ [http://www.nti.org/e_research/profiles/Iran/Missile/1788_1789.html NTI:Missile Chronology: 1960-1984]
- ^ [8]
- ^ [9]
- ^ GlobalSecurity.org Azarakhsh (Lightning)
- ^ [10] GlobalSecurity.org - Tazarv (Eagle) / Thunder / Tondar / Dorna / Dorneh
- ^ [11] Payvand - Iranian Air Force Highly Equipped
- ^ [12]
- ^ http://www.defence.pk/forums/
- ^ [13]
- ^ [14]
- ^ [15] GlobalSecurity.org - Tazarv (Eagle) / Thunder / Tondar / Dorna / Dorneh
- ^ [16] Payvand - Iranian Air Force Highly Equipped
- ^ [17] GlobalSecurity.org - Parastu
- ^ [18] GlobalSecurity.org - Tazarv (Eagle) / Thunder / Tondar / Dorna / Dorneh
- ^ [19] Payvand - Iranian Air Force Highly Equipped
- ^ [20] GlobalSecurity.org - Tazarv (Eagle) / Thunder / Tondar / Dorna / Dorneh
- ^ [21]
- ^ [22]
- ^ [23]
- ^ [24]
- ^ [25]
- ^ http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/templateC05.php?CID=2422
- ^ [26] GlobalSecurity.Org - Simorgh F-5 Upgrade
- ^ [27]
- ^ [28]
- ^ http://www.fas.org/nuke/guide/iran/missile/shahab-2.htm] FAS: Shahab-2
- ^ [29]
- ^ [30]
- ^ [31]
- ^ [32]
- ^ Janes Defence - Fadjr-5 artillery rocket ystem gets new chassis
- ^ "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.
- ^ "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.
- ^ http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/world/iran/parchin.htm
- ^ [33]
- ^ [34]
- ^ [35]
- ^ [36]
- ^ [37]
- ^ http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,216070,00.html
- ^ http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2006-09/27/content_5145842.htm
- ^ http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/iran/qadr.htm
- ^ http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/iran/qadr.htm
- ^ [38]
- ^ [39]
- ^ [40]
- ^ FAS Military Analysis Network - C-802
- ^ [China & Iran ancient partners in a post imperial world, John W. Garver pages 166-221]
- ^ Duncan Lennox, Jane's Strategic Weapon Systems Issue 44, page 66
- ^ [41]
- ^ [China & Iran ancient partners in a post imperial world, John W. Garver pages 166-221]
- ^ [42]
- ^ [43]
- ^ [44]
- ^ [45]
- ^ [46]
| Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran |  |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iranian Army | Iranian Navy | Iranian Air Force | Islamic Revolutionary Guards | ||||||
