Imperial Iranian Ground Force

From Daily Escape

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Revision as of 03:57, 17 September 2007

The Iranian Imperial Ground Force is the branch of the Imperial Iranian Army concerned with land-based military operations. It is widely regarded as one of the most sophisticated army forces in the Middle East. It is a largely mechanized and armored force of about 285,000 troops, organized in 3 corps, with headquarters in Tehran area, in Shiraz in the south, and in Kermanshah near the Iraq border. Major ground formations include 3 armored divisions (each with six tank battalions and five mechanized infantry battalions), 3 infantry divisions, 2 Imperial Guard divisions, 4 independent brigades (1 armored, 1 infantry, 1 airborne, and 1 Special Forces), and the Army Aviation Command.

Order of Battle

Unit	Location
16th Armored Division	Ghazvin
81st Armored Division	Kermanshah
92nd Armored Division	Khuzestan
88th Armored Division	Sistan
1st Imperial Guard Division	E. Azarbaijan
2nd Imperial Guard Division	E. Azarbaijan
28th Infantry Division	Kurdestan
30th Infantry Division	Golestan
64th Infantry Division	W. Azarbaijan
77th Infantry Division	Khorasan
84th Infantry Division	Lorestan
55th Airborne Brigade	Fars
56th Airborne Brigade	Tehran
23rd Airborne Division (NOHED)	Tehran
37th Armored Brigade	Golestan
11th Artillery Group	E. Azarbaijan
22nd Artillery Group
33rd Artillery Group	Tehran
44th Artillery Group
55th Artillery Group
99th Air Defense Group
4 Missile Battalions

Equipment

Individual weapons

Pistols

Glock 17 9mm semi-automatic pistol
SIG P226 9mm semi-automatic pistol
Heckler & Koch MK23 Mod 0 .45 ACP semi-automatic pistol

Shotguns

Armsel Striker 12 gauge shotgun
Remington 870 12 gauge shotgun
Mossberg 500 20 gauge shotgun

Submachine guns/Carbines

Heckler & Koch MP5 9x19mm submachine gun
Heckler & Koch UMP 9x19mm submachine gun
Heckler & Koch MP7A1 4.6x30mm personal defense weapon
FN PS90 5.7x28mm carbine

Rifles

Khaybar KH2002 5.56x45mm assault rifle
M16A4 5.56x45mm assault rifle
Heckler & Koch G3A6 7.62x51mm battle rifle
M82A1 Barrett sniper rifle
SR-25 7.62x51mm semi-automatic sniper rifle
M107 Long Range Sniper Rifle

Machine guns

M2 Browning .50 cal heavy machine gun
FN MAG 7.62x51mm medium machine gun
M60E4 7.62x51mm medium machine gun
FN Minimi 5.56x45 mm light machine gun
Rheinmetall MG3 7.62x51mm general purpose machine gun

Grenade launchers/assault weapons

Milkor XRGL40 40mm grenade launcher
M203 40mm grenade launcher
M79 40mm grenade launcher
FGM-172 SRAW
M136 AT4
M72 LAW
M40 105mm recoilless rifle
Carl Gustav 84mm recoilless rifle
Mk 19 40mm grenade machine gun

Artillery

M102 105mm towed howitzer
M198 155mm towed howitzer
M109 155mm self-propelled howitzer
AMX 30 AuF1 155mm self-propelled howitzer
Astros II self-propelled multiple rocket launcher
- SS-30 (fires 127mm rockets)
- SS-40 (fires 180mm rockets)
- SS-60 (fires 300mm rockets)
- SS-80 (fires 300mm rockets)
HIMARS truck-mounted multiple rocket launcher
M224 60mm mortar
Brandt 60mm long-range gun mortar
M30 107mm mortar
M120 120mm mortar

Missiles

Anti-tank

AGM-114 Hellfire
BGM-71 TOW
Euromissile HOT
FGM-148 Javelin
FGM-172 SRAW
MILAN
Spike

Surface-to-air

FIM-92 Stinger
M1097 Avenger
MIM-23 HAWK
MIM-72 Chaparral

Air-to-surface

AGM-65 Maverick
AGM-114 Hellfire
AGM-130

Air-to-air

AIM-9 Sidewinder
AIM-92 Stinger
AIM-120 AMRAAM
AIM-152 AAAM

Vehicles

Armored vehicles

Active

M1 Abrams main battle tank
- M1A2
  - M1A2 SEP (System Enhancement Package)
- M1A1
- M1
  - M1 Grizzly Engineer Vehicle
  - M1 Panther II Remote Controlled Mine Clearing Vehicle
  - M104 Wolverine Heavy Assault Bridge
  - M1 Panther II Mine Clearing Blade/Roller System
  - M1 Assault Breacher Vehicle
  - M1 Armored Recovery Vehicle
M2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicle
- M2A1
- M2A2
- M2A3
- M3 Bradley Cavalry Fighting Vehicle
- Bradley Stinger Fighting Vehicle (BSFV)
- Warhammer Bradley
- M6 Linebacker
- M7 Bradley Fire Support Team
Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Tracked)
- FV102 Striker anti-tank guided missile carrier
- FV103 Spartan armored personnel carrier
- FV104 Samaritan combat ambulance
- FV105 Sultan command and control vehicle
- FV106 Samson armored recovery vehicle
- FV107 Scimitar light tank
- Sabre light tank
- Shielder minelayer
- Streaker high mobility carrier
Wiesel AWC airborne armored fighting vehicle
- Wiesel 1
  - Wiesel 1 Aufklärung: Reconnaissance
  - Wiesel 1 ATM HOT: Anti-tank vehicle fitted with HOT missiles
  - Wiesel 1 ATM HOT Variant 1: Fitted with UTM-800 turret
  - Wiesel 1 Radar: Fitted with RATAC-S multi-purpose radar
  - Wiesel 1 ATM TOW: Anti-tank vehicle fitted with TOW missiles
  - Wiesel 1 ATM TOW Resupply: Cargo carrier fitted with racks for TOW missiles
  - Wiesel 1 BTM208: Fitted with a SAMM BTM208 turret armed with a FN MAG and a M2HB machine guns
  - Wiesel 1 MK20: Fire support version with a Rheinmetall MK 20 Rh202 20mm cannon
  - Wiesel 1 MK20 Variant 1: Upgraded with new sight
  - Wiesel 1 MK25: 25mm armed version
- Wiesel 2
  - Wiesel 2 BF/UF (LeFlaSys Command): Air defense unit command post
  - Wiesel 2 AFF (LeFlaSys Radar): Fitted with air defense radar
  - Wiesel 2 Ozelot (LeFlaSys Launcher): fitted with air defence missile launcher
  - Wiesel 2 Ozelot (LeFlaSys Launcher Variant 1): Retrofitted with box-type launchers
  - Wiesel 2 Ambulance
  - Wiesel 2 APC: 2 + 4 crew armored personnel carrier
  - Wiesel 2 Command: Battalion command post
  - Wiesel 2 Mortar: 120mm mortar
  - Wiesel 2 Mortar Variant 1: Mortar version with external supports
  - Wiesel 2 Argus: Reconnaissance
  - Wiesel 2 Carrier: Ammunition resupply
  - Wiesel 2 Pionier: Combat engineer reconnaissance
  - Wiesel 2 Primus: Reconnaissance and fire control
  - Wiesel 2 ATM HOT: Anti-tank vehicle fitted with HOT missiles
M113 armored personnel carrier
- M113A4 MTVL (Mobile Tactical Vehicle, Light)
  - M113A4 Infantry Fighting Vehicle Light (IFVL)
  - M113A4 Mobile Tactical Light Recovery Vehicle (MTVR)
  - M113A4 Mobile Tactical Vehicle Light, Cargo Carrier (MTVC)
  - M113A4 Mobile Tactical Light Fitters Vehicle (MTFV)
  - M113A4 Mobile Tactical Vehicle Light Universal Carrier (MTVL-UC)
  - M113A4 Armored Medical Evacuation Vehicle (AMEV)
  - M113A4 Hazardous Materials Recovery Vehicle (HAZMAT)
  - M113A4 Engineering Squad Vehicle (ESV)
  - M577A4 Command Vehicle
- M113A3
  - M1068A3 Standard Integrated Command Post System
  - M113A3 Maintenance/Recovery
  - M1064A3 Armored Self-propelled Mortar
  - M577A3 Tracked Command Post Carrier
  - M58 Armored Tracked Vehicle
  - M1059A3 Smoke Generator Carrier
  - M901A3 Improved TOW Vehicle (ITV)
  - M981A3 Fire Support Team Vehicle (FIST-V)
Stryker Mobile Gun System
M1117 Armored Security Vehicle
Buffalo mine-protected vehicle
Cougar mine-protected vehicle
RG-31 Nyala multipurpose mine-protected vehicle
- RG-31 Sabre cargo vehicle
RG-32 Scout light command/liaison vehicle

Reserve

T-72 main battle tank (480)
T-62 main battle tank (150)
T-54/55 main battle tank (540)
M60 Patton main battle tank (150)
M48 Patton main battle tank (102)
M47 Patton main battle tank (168)
Chieftain Mk3/5 main battle tank (250)
FV101 Scorpion light tank (80)
EE-11 Urutu wheeled armored personnel carrier (300)
BTR-60 wheeled armored personnel carrier (300)
BTR-50 armored personnel carrier (200)
M113A1/A2 armored personnel carrier (250)
BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle (180)
EE-9 Cascavel armored car (130)

Support vehicles

M998 HMMWV AWD motor vehicle
- M56 Coyote smoke generator carrier
- M707 HMMWV
- M966 HMMWV TOW (armored)
- M996 Mini-Ambulance (armored)
- M997 Maxi-Ambulance (armored)
- M998 Cargo/troop carrier
- M998 HMMWV Avenger
- M1025 armament carrier (armored)
- M1026 armament carrier (armored)
- M1035 soft-top ambulance
- M1036 TOW (armored)
- M1037 S-250 shelter carrier
- M1038 cargo/troop carrier
- M1042 S-250 shelter carrier
- M1043 armament carrier (armored)
- M1044 armament carrier (armored)
- M1045 TOW (armored)
- M1046 TOW (armored
- M1069 Tractor
- M1097 Heavy
- M1097 Heavy HMMWV Avenger
- M1109 armament carrier (armored)
- HLONS
- M1114 armament carrier (armored)
- M1116 HMMWV (armored)
- M1123 Heavy
- M1121 TOW (armored)
- M1145 HMMWV
- M1151 HMMWV (armored)
- M1152 HMMWV (armored)
- Packhorse - Attachment to convert an M1097 to tractor version for semi-trailers
- Scorpion - Version fitted with Vasliyek 82mm automatic mortar
M1083 standard cargo truck
M35 2-1/2 ton cargo truck
M978 fuel truck
M984 wrecker
Heavy Equipment Transport System
- M911/M746/M747
- M1070/M1000
Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck
- M977 and M985
- M978
- M983
- M984
Caterpillar D9 armored bulldozer
Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacement all-terrain vehicle
- MK23 Cargo
- MK25 Cargo
- MK27 Cargo
- MK28 Cargo
- MK29 Dump
- MK30 Dump
- MK31 Tractor
- MK36 Wrecker
- MK37 HIMARS Resupply Vehicle
Commercial Utility Cargo Vehicle
- M1009: Utility version
- M1010: Ambulance version
- M1010 Command: Command post vehicle
- M1010 Ordnance: Ordnance repair truck
- M1028: Shelter carrier version
- M1028FF: Fire fighting version
- M1028A1: Shelter carrier version
Logistics Vehicle System (LVS)
- LVS MK48
- LVS MK48A1
- LVS MK14 Flatbed
- LVS MK15 Recovery Vehicle
- LVS MK16 Fifth-wheel
- LVS MK17 Material Handling Crane
- LVS MK18/18A1 Self-Loader
Bandvagn 206 small unit support vehicle
- Bv 206A: Ambulance version
- Bv 206F: Fire appliance variant
FV180 Combat Engineer Tractor
M728 Combat Engineer Vehicle
M60A1 Armored Vehicle Launched Bridge
M9 Armored Combat Earthmover

Aircraft

Fixed-wing

Aero Commander utility transport
Cessna 185 light utility aircraft
Cessna 310 light transport
O-2 Skymaster observation aircraft
Fokker F-27 turboprop airliner
Dassault Falcon 20 VIP transport

Helicopters

Panha 2091 attack helicopter (developed from the AH-1J Cobra)
Panha Shabaviz 2-75 light-lift utility helicopter (developed from the Bell 205)
Panha Shabviz 2061 light helicopter (developed from the Bell 206)
Bell 214 medium-lift helicopter
CH-47C Chinook heavy-lift helicopter
Hughes 300C light utility and training helicopter
UH-1 Iroquois multipurpose utility helicopter