In recent years, the Iranian government states that it has self-sufficiency in essential military hardware and defense systems.
Iran established an arms development program during the Iran–Iraq War to counter the weapons embargo imposed on it by the U.S. and its Western allies. Since 1993, Iran has manufactured its own tanks, armored personnel carriers, missiles, radars, boats, submarines, unmanned aerial vehicles, and fighter planes.
From 1925 to the Iranian Revolution in 1979, Iran used to be equipped with the very latest Western hardware. Cases exist where Iran was supplied with equipment even before it was made standard in the countries that developed it (for example the US F-14 Tomcat, or the British Chieftain Tank). Primary suppliers included the United States, Britain, France, the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany), Italy, Israel, and the Soviet Union.
The Iran–Iraq War, and post revolutionary sanctions at the time had a dramatic effect on Iran's inventory of western equipment. Under the pressures of war, all supplies were quickly exhausted and replacements became increasingly difficult to come by. The war eventually forced Iran to turn to the Soviet Union, North Korea, Brazil, and China to meet its short-term military requirements. Nevertheless, the experience of using quality equipment was not lost on any of the branches of the Iranian armed forces. Disappointed by the older Warsaw Pact equipment, Iran sought to develop its own ability to mirror the technology of its likely enemies, and to provide a totally reliable source of equipment for the future.
After the Iranian revolution, developments in military technology were carried out with the technical support of Russia, China, and North Korea; building upon the foundations established by western contractors. Iranian reliance on these countries has rapidly decreased over the last decade in most sectors as Iran sought to gain total independence; A major exception however, is the aerospace sector, where Iran is still dependent on external help. Iran has, at present, reverse engineered existing foreign hardware, adapted it to their own requirements and then mass-produced the finished product. Examples of this abound, such as the Boragh and the IAMI Azarakhsh. In an attempt to make its military industries more sustainable Iran has also sought to export its military products, see Iranian Military Exports.
This illustration shows a prototype of Iran's mobile air defense system, Bavar 373, with cylindrical containers. However, the final product unveiled in 2016, is equipped with cube containers.
The following list consists of some weapons systems that Iran manufactures domestically:
Saba 248 – medium-weight, double-engine, quadrotor aircraft, capable of carrying eight occupants
209 (Comprehensive and integrated missile system of helicopter 209); It can fire all types of helicopter air-based missiles with the nature of Fire and Forget, which is installed and operational on the Kabri attack helicopters.[23]
A1 – A1 is capable of flying for at least two hours, and can carry a 5-kilogram payload.[24]
Ababil[25] – Domestically manufactured surveillance plane. Ababil-5 is for attack missions and the Ababil-T is for short/mid-range attack missions.[24]
Arash UAV – a suicide and anti-radar drone with a portable launcher[26][27]
Fotros – UCAV with a range of 2000km, flight ceiling of 25,000ft and 16–30 hours flight endurance, armed with missiles.[34]
Gaza - a wide-body UAV with a flight endurance of 35 hours and an operational range of 2,000 kilometers. It is capable of carrying 13 bombs and 500 kilograms of payload.[35][36][37]
Hamaseh – A medium-range drone,[38] capable of carrying air to ground missiles.[39]
Kaman-12 (UAV)– combat UAV. The aircraft can fly at 200 kilometers per hour for 10 straight hours. It can use an airstrip as short as 400 meters and covers a 1,000-kilometer combat radius. The UAV weighs 450 kilograms and can carry a payload as heavy as 100 kilograms.[40][41]
Kaman 22 (UAV)– The first wide-body combat UAV made by Iran. The aircraft can fly at a 3000km distance for 24 hours.[42]
Karrar – capable of carrying a military payload of rockets to carry out bombing missions against ground targets. It is also capable of flying long distances at a very high speed.[43] It can also carry interceptor missiles.[44]
Khodkar – wide-body combat and surveillance; using J85 turbojet engine (converted Lockheed T-33)[45]
Shahed 129 – UCAV with 24-hour flight capability and armed with Sadid missiles.[61]
Shahin – an autonomous loitering aerial drone that can collect information on the positions and movements of enemy forces on reconnaissance missions, and carry out a "kamikaze" attack.[62] It is equipped with a 24/7 vision camera and is able to climb up to a height of 15,000 feet.[63] It has two to three hours endurance.[64]
Shaparak (Butterfly) – has a maximum operational radius of 50 kilometers (31 miles), and a maximum flight ceiling of 15,000 feet (4,600 meters). This UAV is capable of three and half hours of non-stop flying, and can carry an 8-kilogram (17-pound) payload.[65]
JAS-313 - an unpiloted version of the "Qaher-313" stealth fighter jet with two variants (reconnaissance and combat). The bigger model is equipped with a jet engine. Flight endurance of an hour.[86]
Shahed-107 - suicide drone with a reported range of 1,500 km[87]
Aircraft upgrades and components
Iran claims to have upgraded its F-4, F-5, and F-14 fighter jets, and produced spare parts including tires, avionics, and engine components.[88][11]
Shahed (Observer) flight recorder – able to record flight, image, and sound parameters.[89]
Qaem-100 satellite carrier; the first 3-stage satellite carrier with solid fuel developed by the IRGC Aerospace Force, carries satellites weighing 80kg into an orbit 500km above the Earth.[94]
Asr (radar) – Asr radar is described as a S band naval three-dimensional phased array radar with a range of 200km and capable of simultaneously identifying and intercepting 100 targets at water level or above, this radar is installed on Jamaran frigates.[115][116][117]
Cheshm Oghab (Eagle eye) Naval radarRASIT ground-surveillance radar – Iran captured several Iraqi radars during the 1980–1988 war, and now manufactures a reverse-engineered version carried aboard a truck[119]
Ghadir – The Ghadir radar system which covers areas (maximum) 1,100km in distance and 300km in altitude has been designed and built to identify aerial targets, radar-evading aircraft, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles as well as low-altitude satellites.[124][125][126]
Arash – long-range radar, entered service in December 2013.[123][127]
Khalij-e fars and Moraqeb – three dimensional phased array radar systems that can detect aerial threats up to a range of 800 and 400 kilometers respectively[129][130]
Fat’h 14 (Conquer 14) – with a range of 600 kilometers and can detect small airborne targets at a high altitude[131]
Me’raj 4 – ground-based long-range 3D surveillance radar system[citation needed]
Nazir – long-range radar system with the capability of detecting radar-evading targets[132]
Fateh-110 – Single-stage solid-propelled SRBM with a range of 300km.
Fath-360 – An Iranian short-range tactical ballistic missile with range of 80 to 100km.
Fateh-313 – Solid-propelled SRBM with a range of 500km.
Raad-500 – Solid-propelled SRBM with a range of 500km. Tactical lightweight variant of Fateh-110 family of tactical SRBM with a 200km increased range[151]
Zolfaqar – Solid-propelled SRBM with a range of 750km.[152]
Ashoura – Two-staged solid-propelled MRBM with a range of 2,000km.[158]
Sejjil – Two-stage solid-propelled MRBM with a range of 2000km.
Kheybarshekan – Precision-Striking Ballistic Missile, a range of 1,450km. The missile is among third-generation long-range missiles indigenously developed/manufactured by military experts at the IRGC's Aerospace Division.[159]
Rezvan - Liquid fueled missile with a 1,400km range.[160]
Unnamed anti-ship ballistic missile with a reported range of 1500km and a speed of 8 Mach.[161]
Kheibar (Khorramshahr-4) - Liquid fueled missile with a range of 2,000km and a warhead weighing 1,500kg.[162]
Fattah-1 - Hypersonic missile with a range of 1,400km and a reported speed of Mach 13.[163][164]
Fattah-2 - Hypersonic missile with a range of 1,500km and a reported speed of Mach 13.
Jahad - Liquid-fueled missile with a range of 1,000km.[165]
Etemad - 16-meter-long missile with 1,700 km range and a precision-guided warhead[166]
Qassem Basir – Solid-propelled MRBM with a range of at least 1,200 kilometers.[167]
Sejjil - maneuverable solid-fuel missile with a 2,000 km range and a 700 kg warhead. Entered service in 2012. Believed to be able to carry nuclear warheads.[168]
Sa'ir 100mm Anti-Aircraft Guns – automatic version of KS-19 gun, it can detect and intercept targets through radar or optical systems at low and med-altitude[191]
Mesbah 1 air defense system – can target and destroy fighters, helicopters, cruise missiles and other low flying objects. It is equipped with a three-dimensional interception radar and an optical guidance system. It can fire 4,000 rounds per minute.[198][199]
Mehrab (altar) – Medium-range smart missile. Mehrab is equipped with anti-radar and anti-jamming systems.[200]
Raad – Air defense system with a range of 50 kilometers and engagement altitude of 25 to 27 kilometers[201]
Zubin air defenseBavar-373 – Iran-made air defense system carrying the Sayyad-4 (missile), which uses two or three types of missiles to confront aerial targets in different layers.[202][203]
Ya Zahra – Low-altitude mobile air defense system.[204]
Herz-9 – Passive low-altitude mobile air defense system with an operating range of 10km and an altitude of 5km.[205][206][207]
Talaash - A mid-range, high-altitude mobile air defense missile system which uses an upgraded copy of SM-1 (RIM-66) missile called Sayyad-2.[208][209]
Asefeh – Asefeh is three-barrelled 23mm Gatling gun that is reportedly capable of firing up to 900 rounds a minute, it is currently under development by IRGC ground force and will be used as a close in weapon system to defend against cruise missiles.[210]
3rd Khordad – missile system with a range of 75 kilometers and an altitude of 30 km[211]
Tabas – missile system with a range of 60 kilometers and an altitude of 30 kilometers
Dezful air defense SystemDamavand - A long-range missile system
Majid[212][213] Expected to replace older Rapier, Ya Zahra, Herz-9, and FM-80[214]
9 of Dey - A missile system which is capable of engaging and destroying cruise missiles and drones.[215]
Arman (missile system) Anti-Ballistic Missile system with 3 120-km range missiles and a phased-array radar
Lt. General Qassem Soleimani - Ship point air defense missile/gun system[216]
Navvab[217] - Naval variant based on Zoubin air defense
Bina – Laser-guided air-to-ground and ground-to-ground missile. It appears to be an AGM-65 Maverick air-to-ground missile with a semi-active laser (SAL) seeker fitted to its nose.[228] Bina-2 was unveiled in 2018 which has increased precision and range.[229]
Shafaq[231] has a 13kg warhead and a speed of Mach 2.2. It can destroy targets within 20 km. It is equipped with fire-and-forget guidance and an infrared search and track system enabling it to operate in extreme weather conditions day and night.[232]
Yasin – 60km range guided bomb.[234] a part of the Yasin family of PGMs which include Yasin-90, Yasin-98, and Yasin-400.
Qaem 1/5/9 – Electro-optically or thermally-guided weapon.[235]
Qaem 114 – Electro-optically guided anti-armor 1,000mm penetrating dual-charge warhead missile similar to AGM-114 Hellfire[236]
Fadak – 2-4-km range guided or unguided 80mm and 11–16kg weight air-to-ground rocket with a high-explosive anti-armor warhead and a speed of 700 meters per second[237]
Heidar-7 – Based on BTR-60PB with TV remote control station for ZU-23-2. Limited production.
Makran IFV – Upgrade of the BTR-50PK with a new unmanned turret equipped with a 30mmShipunov 2A42 and 7.62mm machine gun, newly welded frontal and side armor, a new engine, and new electronics.[260]
Other vehicles
Aras 2 Multipurpose tactical vehicleSepehr – Iranian tactical vehicle[261][262]
Fallagh – ultra-light tracked combat vehicle with remote weapon station[270]
Network-based intelligent robot (Heydar 1) – It has 6x6 active wheels, load-carrying and high-explosive capabilities, 360° degree rotation and barrier detection. It has a rifle (AK platform) and is capable of targeting and firing automatically at targets and there is also a suicide version for striking the tanks with below hit.[271]
Roo'in tan – It is a lightweight tactical bulletproof car that is resistant to steel core bullets up to .50cal[272]
Moudge class – upgraded and modified British Alvand (Saam) class (aka Vosper Mk 5 type) frigates.
Jamaran – multi-mission frigate with a displacement of around 1,400 tonnes, can carry 120–140 personnel on board and is armed with a variety of anti-ship and surface-to-air missiles.[316]
Helicopter self-defense systems; Utilization and use of Chaff and Flare self-protection systems, DRFM system, communication jamming system, laser warning system and GNSS navigation jamming system on flying devices increases the combat power and survival of helicopters.[346]
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