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, the West 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.
The following list consists of some weapons systems that Iran manufactures domestically:
Aircraft and Helicopters
Azarakhsh - modified copy of U.S. F-5 Freedom Fighter, one-seat fighter aircraft, and combat capable trainer.
Saegheh - fighter aircraft.[4] Second generation Azarakhsh with a twin canted tail configuration.
Shafaq - advanced light fighter/trainer, still in development.
IR.An-140. - licensed production of Russian Antonov An-140
Parastoo - propeller-driven training aircraft. Reverse engineered Beech F33 Bonanza.
Dorna - training aircraft
JT2-2 Tazarv - third generation of the Dorna mentioned above. -- Still in prototype stage.
Simorgh(aircraft)- training aircraft.
Fajr F.3 - Indigenous trainer aircraft
Panha 2091 "Toufan" - overhauled U.S. AH-1J SeaCobra refitted with indigenous components.
Shabaviz 2061 - overhauled U.S. Bell 206 JetRanger refitted with indigenous components.
Shabaviz 275 - overhauled U.S. Bell 205 JetRanger refitted with indigenous components
Bell 214 - Reverse engineered and built in Iran
HESA Shahed 278 - Developed from Bell 206 & Panha Shabaviz 2061
HESA Shahed 285 - New Iranian Designed Attack Helicopter
Bavar 2 - radar-evading fixed-wing seaplane capable of patrol and reconnaissance missions. At least 11 flying boats had joint Iran's fleet as of 2010.
Unmanned aerial vehicles
Ababil
Mohajer I/II/III/IV
Rad (with 'offensive' capabilities)
Nazir (surveillance)
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.
Sofreh Mahi - Stealth UCAV under development.
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.
Simulators
F-4 Phantom Simulator
Helicopter Simulators (AH-1J & Bell 206)
Submarine Simulator - Iran's "Tareq-class" submarine.
Radar systems
Matla-ul-fajr radar system - capable of tracking and destroying enemy ships and fighter jets.
Electro-optical/radar system
E-warfare systems
Missiles
Medium range (MRBM)
Ghadr-110 with a range between 2,000 and 3,000 km.
Medium range missiles are considered to have a range between 1000 and 3000 kilometers.
Shahab-3A/B/C - strategic MRBM with a range of 1,200 km to 2,100 km.
Ghadr-110 MRBM with a range of 2000–3000 km.
Ashoura missile 2 stage solid fuel MRBM with a range of 2,000 km.
Sajjil 2 stage solid fuel MRBM with a range of 2000–2500 km.
Fajr-3 MIRV warhead.
Short range (SRBM)
Short range missiles are considered to have a range up to 1000 kilometers.
Shahab-1 - tactical SRBM with a range of 350 km. copy of Soviet SS-1c/Scud-B
Shahab-2 - tactical SRBM with a range of 750 km copy of Soviet SS-1d/Scud-C
Naze'at - Unguided rocket series.
Fateh-110 - single-stage solid-propellant SRBM with a range of 200 km
Zelzal 1/2/3 - single-stage SRBM with a range of 200 to 400 km
Fajr-5 - artillery rocket
Fajr-3 - artillery rocket
Qiam 1 - uses liquid fuel and has a so-called smart targeting system.
Cruise missiles
Nasr-1 - Iranian made short range missiles.
Anti-tank missiles
Raad - copy of Soviet AT-3 Sagger
RPG-7 - Copy of Soviet RPG-7. Iran is forecast to manufacture 2.88 percent of the worlds RPG-7's by 2014.
RPG-29
Saegheh - improved version of the RPG-7
Toophan - Copy of American TOW missile
Toophan 2 - Improved Toophan
Toophan 5 - Anti-armor, anti-tank missile with two warheads
Towsan - Iranian version of the 9M113 Konkurs/AT-5 Spandrel
Air defence weapons
Qaem - anti-helicopter, light-weight, laser guided missile
Misagh-1 - copy of Chinese QW-1 Vanguard with upgrades
Misagh-2 - copy of Chinese QW-2 Vanguard
Samavat 35mm Anti-Aircraft Guns - Copy of Oerlikon 35 mm twin cannon skyguard
Shahab Thaqeb (شهاب ثاقب
- copy of the Chinese HQ-7 (FM-80)
SM-1 copy of RIM-66 Standard.
Sayyad-1 / Sayyad-1A - upgraded copy of Chinese HQ-2, Sayyad-1A has IR tracking.
Sayyad-2 (Hunter II). Upgraded version of the Sayyad-1 system with higher precision, range and defensive power. It is equipped with a 200-kilogram warhead and has a speed of 1,200 meters per second. The Sayyad-1 missile defense system is composed of two-stage missiles that can target all kinds of aircraft, including bombers, at medium and high altitudes.
Fajr-8- copy of S-200
Fajr-27- rapid fire cannon
Shahin - upgraded MIM-23 HAWK, supersonic ground-to-air guided missile with a range of more than 40 kilometers capable of targeting fighter jets and helicopters.
Fath (victory) - the 40-millimeter naval cannon's range is 12 km and shoots 300 projectiles per minute.
Mersad - Iran's first advanced air defense system based on the US MIM-23 Hawk. It is capable of hitting modern aircraft flying at low and medium altitudes. The Mersad system is equipped with sophisticated radar signal processing technology, an advanced launcher, and electronic equipment for guidance and target acquisition. Mersad uses domestically manufactured Shahin missiles.
Mesbah 1 air defense system - can target and destroy fighters, helicopters, cruise missiles and other objects flying at low altitude. Mesbah 1 is equipped with a three-dimensional interception radar and an optical guidance system. Mesbah 1 can fire four thousand rounds per minute.
Bombs
Qadr - Electro-optically guided 2000 lb glide-bomb
Zoobin - Electro-optically guided 750 lb glide-bomb
Qased - Electro-optically guided 2000 lb bomb.
120mm mortar shells
130mm mortar shells
Air-to-air missiles
Fatter - copy of U.S. AIM-9 Sidewinder
Sedjil - copy of U.S. MIM-23 Hawk converted to be carried by aircraft
Sattar 1/2/3/4 - Medium Range air-to-air missiles developed based on AIM-54 and MIM-23 Hawk
Naval missiles
Ra'ad - Indigenously developed long-range anti-ship missile based on HY-2 Silkworm.
Noor - upgraded copy of Chinese C-802.
Tondar - upgraded copy of Chinese C-801. Similar to Noor but powered by solid rocket booster and range of 50 km.
Thaqeb - Similar to Noor, modified for submarine launch.
Nasr - Several versions based on TL-6 and C-705
Kowsar 1/2/3 - Several versions based on Chinese C-701TL-10 and C-704
Fajre Darya- copy of Sea Killer II.
Khalij Fars - Anti ship ballistic missile based on Fateh-110
Torpedo
Hoot - A supercavitation torpedo. Possible copy of the RussianVA-111 Shkval.
Armored Vehicles
Iranian made Zulfiqar tank Zulfiqar MBT - Developed from U.S. M60 Patton
T-72Z Safir-74 - Indigenously upgraded Soviet T-54/55 and Chinese Type 59
Mobarez - Indigenously upgraded of British Chieftain.
T-72S - Soviet T-72 produced under license in Iran
Tosan - Iranian light tank for unconventional warfare, developed from British FV101 Scorpion.
Cobra BMT-2 - Concept vehicle for the Boragh armed with 23 mm anti-aircraft gun for use as a fire support vehicle.
Boragh - Copy of Soviet BMP-1 with indigenous upgrades
Rakhsh - Developed from Soviet BRDM
Other vehicles
Sepher - Iranian tactivall vehicle
Safir Jeep
Tondar 1/4TON Tactical Jeep
Artillery
HM 40 - A 122mm howitzer
HM 41 - A 155mm howitzer
Wheeled 155-mm self-propelled howitzer
Raad 1 - SP gun Chinese Type WZ 501/503 armored infantry fighting vehicle with Russian 122mm gun mounted on top.
Raad 2 - SP gun based on the U.S. M109 howitzer
Small arms
MPT-9 - Tondar submachine gun - copy of MP5 (H & K licenced production)
KH-2002 - 5.56mm bullpup conversion kit for the M-16
S-5.56 - copy of Norinco CQ, Chinese clone of the M-16
KL-7.62 - copy of AKM
G3A6 - copy of G3 7.62 mm (H & K licenced production)
MGA3 - copy of MG3 7.62 mm (Rheinmetal licenced production)
PC-9 "Zoaf" - copy of Swiss-German SIG P226 pistol
PKM-T80 - copy of Soviet PKM
MGD-12.7mm - copy of Soviet DShK
Nakhjir - copy of Soviet SVD
Boats and destroyers
Sina class - heavily upgraded, French Kaman (Combattante II) class missile boats. Paykan
Joshan
Moudge class - upgraded and modified British Alvand (Saam) class (aka Vosper Mk 5 type) frigates. Moudge I
Moudge II
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.
Iranian frigate Velayat
Zolfaqhar - fast attack craft/missile boat
Seraj - high-speed attack craft
Yunes 6 - six-passenger hovercraft
Submarines
Qaaem Class Submarine
Midget Submarines
Ghadir Class Submarine
Nahang Class Submarine
