Iran has produced many advanced weapon systems in spite of crippling sanctions and an arms embargo. Iran has shown itself to be a master of reverse engineering weapons systems that it obtained before the 1979 revolution, or that it captured. Iran has also upgraded existing weapons to more modern standards, such as its tank fleet. Iran has also produced domestic weapon systems that are quite modern.
Iran has proven to be a drone superpower, producing several armed drones, many suicide drones and many recon drones. It even managed to hack into and land a US RQ-170 stealth drone, which Iran then reverse engineered into its own flying wing drone designs.
The most capable combat drone Iran operates is arguably the Shahed-129. This drone is a domestically produced design that is roughly comparable to the US predator drone. It has a flight endurance of up to 24 hours. The Shahed-129 has seen combat in Syria against ISIS and rebel forces. It can carry up to four Sadid guided missiles. The Sadid-345 glide-bomb is used on the Shahed-129. It is an unpowered free-fall bomb directed by four rear fins.
Shahed-129 taking off.
The Mohajer-6 drone was recently shown to be capable of carrying Sadid missiles as well. This drone is much smaller the the Shahed-129 and can likely be produced faster. The Mohajer-6 has yet to see combat using Sadids.
The Saegheh-2 is a reverse engineered version of the RQ-170, though it is smaller and has several different features. It is a flying wing, and therefore inherently has a low radar cross section. It was recently shown to be capable of dropping modified Sadid missiles from an internal bay. Two sets of flip-out fins are used on the Sadid seen is use by the Saegheh-2, instead of one set of fixed fins on the Sadid-345.
Saegheh-2.
In flight.
Dropping a Sadid from an internal bay.
Saegheh-2 with external missiles. It is unclear if this is a real loadout, or simply a propaganda display.
The Ababil-2 is a suicide UAV that has seen action by Yemeni forces against Saudi Arabia. It was recently shown mounted to speedboats for use against ships.
Ababil-2 mounted to speedboats.
Iran has produced indigenous air defenses based on Russian and US systems. Its most capable domestically produced AD systems are the 3rd Khordad and Bavar 373. Both are based on Russian designs but are heavily modified. They are said to be resistant to electronic warfare, which would be quite an accomplishment if true. The 3rd Khordad has proven itself in combat by shooting down a US RQ-4 Global Hawk UAV in June of 2019 over the Strait of Hormuz.
The 3rd Khordad SAM is similar to the Russian Buk-M2 in appearance. It fires Taer-2 missiles with a flight altitude of up to 80,000 feet.
A ship based 3rd Khordad.
The Bavar-373 is based on the Russian S-300 air defense system. It was unveiled in its modern form in 2020. Its Sayyad-4 missiles have a flight altitude of over 80,000 feet and a range of 200 kilometers/120 miles.
Bavar-373 TEL.
Bavar-373 radars.
Bavar-373 Sayyad-4 missile.
Iran's anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) force is quite impressive. Iran has managed to reverse engineer US and Russian ATGMs on a massive scale. The Russian Kornet was copied and named the Dehlavieh. The US BGM-71 TOW became the Toophan. These are the two most capable ATGMs that Iran copies, though they also copy the Malyutka and Konkurs ATGMs.
The Toophan ATGM has been combat proven in Iraq, Syria, Yemen and Lebanon. It has been copied since the 1980s from BGM-71s obtained when Iran was controlled by the Shah. There are several variants of the Toophan, and they are very difficult to distinguish from each other.
Two different Toophan missile variants in flight during battles against ISIS/rebels in Syria. One missile has a protrusion likely to defeat explosive reactive armor.
Toophans in Iraq.
A Toophan in Lebanon.
The Dehlavieh is the Iranian copy of the Russian Kornet ATGM. These are produced in large numbers along with the Toophan and have seen action in a few nations, most recently Yemen.
Dehlavieh in Iran.
A Dehlavieh in Iraq.
Iranian Dehlavieh missiles.
Dozens of Dehlaviehs seized off the coast of Yemen.
Dehlaviehs in Yemen.
The Ra'ad is the Iranian copy of the Russian Malyutka ATGM. The Ra'ad is improved in that it is a tandem charge ATGM, unlike the original Malyutka.
The Ra'ad ATGM.
A Ra'ad in Lebanon.
The M-47 Dragon ATGM is an American made system obtained by Iran under the Shah in the 1970s. It has since been copied into the Saeghe-2. It has been seen in Iraq, Lebanon and Yemen.
A Saeghe-2 in Yemen.
Saeghe-2 in Iraq.
Saeghe-2 in Fallujah, Iraq.
Iran has also copied Chinese MANPADS (Man Portable Air Defense Systems) in the Misagh series, especially the Misagh-2.
Misagh-2s in Iraq.
Iran's ballistic missile force is varied and extremely capable. This was seen in January of 2020 when Iran launched missiles on al-Asad Airbase in Iraq following Qassam Soleimani's assassination by the US. The Qiam-1 missile was used to target the Airbase with extreme accuracy.
The Qaim-1 is based on the Shahab-2, which itself is based on the North Korean copy of the SCUD-B.
Shahab-2/Qaim-1.
The Shahab-3 is a liquid fueled ballistic missile with a range of over 600 miles. It is based on North Korean technology.
Shahab-3s lifting off.
The Ghadr-110 is an improved version of the Shahab-3. Its range increases to over 1,000 miles in the Ghadr-110.
The Ghadr-110 lifting off from an underground missile base.
The Khorramshahr is one of Iran's most formidable ballistic missiles, with a range of up to 2,000KM/1,200 miles. The Khorramshahr is based on the North Korean Hwasong-10. It is noticeably shorter than the Hwasong-10, however. Due to its size it could possibly carry at least one nuclear warhead.
Khorramshahr on parade.
Khorramshahr during a test.
Along with Ballistic missiles, Iran has a number of cruise missiles. This includes the Soumar, Quds and Hoveyzeh. The Quds cruise missile has been combat proven by Houthi forces in Yemen used against Saudi Arabian targets.
The Soumar is a long range cruise missile reverse engineered from the Russian Kh-55 cruise missile. Iran reverse engineered this missile from Kh-55s obtained from Ukraine. Its range is estimated to be between 2,000 and 3,000 kilometers based on the Kh-55 capabilities. It is potentially nuclear capable. Cruise missiles are difficult to intercept due to their low altitude flight. These cruise missiles are launched with a rocket motor and then sustained by a jet engine.
The Soumar.
The Quds cruise missile is smaller than the Soumar, with a shorter range. It is similar (and possibly the same as) the Ya Ali cruise missile.
The Quds firing in Yemen.
Debris of a Quds used to strike Saudi oil refineries in 2019.
The Hoveyzeh is extremely similar to the Soumar. Its range is said to be approximately 1,300 kilometers.
Hoveyzeh cruise missile.
Launching a Hoveyzeh.
The Noor anti-ship missile is a copy of the Chinese C-802. It is radar guided and resistant to jamming, with a range of at least 200KM.
Launching a Noor missile.
Noor system on parade.
Noor missiles in Yemen.
Iran has domestically built midget submarines called the Ghadir, it is likely based on the North Korean Yono midget submarine. It is armed with two torpedo tubes capable of launching both torpedos and anti-ship cruise missiles.
Ghadir submarines docked.
Ghadir submarine being overhauled.
Finally, Iran has upgraded its T-72S tanks into a new tank, the Karrar. The Karrar is upgraded with better armor, better ERA and a new fire control system. The fire control system is a reverse engineered Italian TURMS-T system that was taken off of the Syrian T-72. The Karrar resembles a T-90MS cosmetically, though its armor is not quite as good. Instead of Kontakt-5 ERA, the Karrar has upgraded reverse engineered Kontakt-1. Though the tank is not as advanced as the T-90MS, it is extremely modern by mid-east tank standards and would still put up a fight against Western tanks.
The Karrar tank.
The fire control system optics of the Karrar.
T-72S tanks undergoing upgrades to Karrar standard.
The finished Karrar.
In conclusion, Iran is a master at reverse engineering weapons. Tanks, missiles and even drones have been copied and are successfully used. Just a decade ago many of Iran's weapons projects were mocked by the West, but now they are taking notice with concern. Iran has proven itself to be a regional superpower. The arms embargo on Iran expired in 2020, it is not clear what weapons it will obtain or sell, or what weapons it will copy next on a large scale. One thing is for sure, Iranian weapons technology has nowhere to go but up.
It would be about time to put those weapons to use.
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