Army Armed Forces Structure
Equipment
Deployment
Plans and Programs
Armed Forces Structure
OVERVIEW
The Iranian army is organized into:
5 corps headquarters
14 military districts
4 armored divisions, each with
2 armored brigades
1 mechanized brigade
1 self-propelled artillery battalion
1 reconnaissance brigade
4 infantry divisions, each with
3-4 infantry brigades
1 artillery brigade
2 mechanized infantry divisions, each with
1 armored brigade
2-3 mechanized infantry brigades
1 reconnaissance battalion
1 self-propelled artillery battalion
1 artillery battalion
1 special operations brigade
1 commando division
3 commando brigades
1 airborne division
6 artillery groups
12 SAM missile battalions
1 independent armored brigade
1 independent infantry brigade
5 army aviation groups, each with
2-3 light attack helicopter squadrons
1 utility helicopter squadron
A typical armored division has from 10,000-15,000 personnel; an infantry division has about 16,000 troops.
Air defense forces are divided into three regions: northern, central and southern. All anti-aircraft artillery and surface-to-air missile systems are under the operational control of the army. Air force and Pasdaran units have retained some man-portable and towed surface-to-air missiles systems for base protection.
PERSONNEL STRENGTH
Active army manpower is approximately 350,000, including 220,000 conscripts.
Equipment
(For additional information on the equipment listed below, search our Weapons Database).
AUG06 OCT07 FEB09 AUG10 GROUND COMBAT VEHICLES
Tanks
100 # # 100 Zulfiqar MBT (Iran)(in production)
480 480 480 480 T-72M/S MBT (Russia)
75 75 75 75 T-62 medium (Russia)
540 540 540 540 T-54/T-55/T-59 medium (Russia)
100 100 100 100 Chieftain Mk 3/Mk 5 medium (U.K.)
168 168 168 168 M47M/M48A5 Patton medium (U.S.)
150 150 150 150 M60A1 MBT (U.S.)
80 80 80 80 FV010 Scorpion light (U.K.)
# # # # Towsan light tank (90-mm main gun) (Iran)
Armored Vehicles
300 300 300 300 BTR-50/BTR-60 APC (incl. variants) (Russia)
210 210 210 210 BMP-1 mechanized infantry (Russia)
400 400 400 400 BMP-2 (Russia)
200 200 200 200 M113A1 APC (U.S.)
35 35 35 35 EE-9 Cascavel armored car (Brazil)
140 # 140 140 Boragh amphibious APC (Iran)
Artillery
Guns
30 30 30 30 175-mm M107 self-propelled (U.S.)
10 10 10 10 170-mm M1978 self-propelled (Russia)
985 985 985 985 130-mm M46 towed (Russia)
Howitzers
20 20 20 20 203-mm M115 towed (U.S.)
30 30 30 30 203-mm M110 self-propelled (U.S.)
70 70 70 70 155-mm M114A1 towed
180 180 180 180 155-mm M109/A1 self-propelled (U.S.)
120 120 120 120 155-mm GHN-45 towed (Austria)
15 15 15 15 155-mm NORINCO Type WAC 21 (China)
# # # # 155-mm Thunder-2 SP (Iran)
30 30 30 30 152-mm D-20 GH (Russia)
# # # # 122-mm Thunder-1 SP (Iran)
100 100 100 100 122-mm Type 54-1 towed (China)
60 60 60 60 122-mm 2S1 Gvozdika SP (Russia)
540 540 540 540 122-mm D30 towed (Russia)
130 130 130 130 105-mm M101A1 towed (U.S.)
Air Defense Guns
(1,700 of the following:)
# N/A N/A N/A 100-mm KS-19 (Russia)
# N/A N/A N/A 85-mm KS-12 (Russia)
# N/A N/A N/A 85-mm M1939 towed (Russia)
# # # # 57-mm ZSU-57-2 self-propelled (Russia)
# # # # 57-mm S-60 towed (Russia)
# N/A N/A N/A 40-mm L/70 towed (Sweden)
# N/A N/A N/A 40-mm L/60 towed (Sweden)
# # # # 37-mm M1939 towed (Russia)
# N/A N/A N/A 35-mm GDF-003 Skyguard twin towed
(w/Skyguard radar) (Switzerland)
# # # # 23-mm ZSU-23-4 Shilka self-propelled (Russia)
# # # # 23-mm ZU-23-2 twin towed (Russia) (incl. IRGC)
# # # # 14.5-mm ZPU-2/4 (Russia)
# N/A N/A N/A 37-mm NORINCO Type 55 LAAG (China)
Mortars
(5,000 of the following:)
# # # # 120-mm Soltam M65 towed (Israel)
# # # # 120-mm (Iran)
# # # # 107-mm (4.2 in) M30 towed (U.S.)
# 82-mm (Iran)
# # # # 81-mm M29 towed (U.S.)
# # # # 60-mm (Iran)
# # # # 60-mm M19 (U.S.)
Multiple Rocket Launchers
# N/A N/A N/A 333-mm Shahin 1 (Hawk 1) towed
(Iran)(incl. IRGC)
# N/A N/A N/A 333-mm Shahin 2 (Hawk 2) towed
(Iran)(incl. IRGC)
# # # 333-mm Fajr 5
# N/A N/A N/A 320-mm Oghab (Eagle) self-propelled
(Iran) (incl. IRGC)
10 10 10 240-mm Fajr 3
9 9 9 9 240-mm M-1985 (China)
100 100 100 100 122-mm BM-21 (Russia)
7 7 7 122-mm BM-11 (Russia)
# N/A N/A N/A 122-mm Hadid (30-round) self-propelled (Iran)
50 50 50 50 122-mm Hadid variant (40-round) self-propelled
(Iran)(incl. IRGC)
# N/A N/A N/A 122-mm Type 81 (China)
700+ N/A N/A N/A 122-mm Fajr 6 minelaying rocket (Iran)
# # # # 107-mm Fajr 1 (12-round) self-propelled
(Iran) (Chinese Type 63) (incl. IRGC)
700 700 700 700 107-mm Haseb SP (Iran) (Chinese Type 63)
MISSILES
Anti-Tank
# N/A N/A N/A BGM-71A TOW air-to-ground (U.S.)
# # # # BGM-71A TOW (U.S.)
# N/A N/A N/A M47 Dragon launchers (U.S.)
# N/A N/A N/A MGM-32A ENTAC (France)
# # # # AT-4 Spigot (Russian 9K111 Fagot)
75 # # # AT-3 Sagger (Russian 9K11 Malyutka)
(incl. some self-propelled)
# # # AT-5 Spandrel (Russia)
# # # # RPG-7V (Russia)
# # # # SAGHEGH 80-mm (Iran) (improved RPG-7)
# N/A N/A N/A RPG-22 (Russia)
# N/A N/A N/A NAFEZ 73-mm recoilless (Iran) (based on
Russian SPG-9)
# # 200 106-mm M-40 recoilless rifle (U.S.)
# # # 107-mm B-11 recoilless anti-tank gun (Russia)
# # # 75-mm M-20 recoilless rifle (U.S.)
# # # 82-mm B-10 recoilless rifle (Russia)
# # # # Shahin 1 (Hawk) (Iran)
Surface-to-Surface
# 300 300 300 SS-1 Scud B/Scud C (Russian R-17E)
(up to 18 launchers) (incl. IRGC)
# 12 12+ 12+ Scud Mod B variants (North Korea)
(8-15 MAZ-543 TELs)(Shahab-1)
# # # # Shahab-2 (extended range Scud Mod C variant)
# N/A N/A N/A Iran-700 (North Korean Nodong-1 SSM)
(see Shahab-3)
# N/A N/A N/A FROG-7 (Russian 9K21 Luna-M)
# N/A N/A N/A CSS-7 (Chinese DF-11/M-11)
# 175 175 175 CSS-8 (Chinese M-7) (30 launchers)
(Mushak-120, Iran-130, Nazeat-10)
# N/A N/A N/A MGM-52 Lance (U.S.)
# N/A N/A N/A RIM-66B Standard (U.S.) (modified for land
attack mission, fired from HAWK)
# # # # Shahab-3
MRBM
# # # # Shahab-4 (derivative of N. Korean Nodong-2)
# # # Shahab-5 (derivative of N. Korean Taepodong-2)
# N/A N/A N/A BM-25 (North Korea) (reported)
Surface-to-Air
# N/A N/A N/A FIM-92A Stinger MANPADS (U.S.)
# N/A N/A N/A MIM-23A Hawk launchers (U.S.)
# N/A N/A N/A MIM-23B I-Hawk (U.S.)
# N/A N/A N/A RBS-70 (Sweden)
# HQ-7 self-propelled (China) (reported)
10 SA-22 Greyhound self-propelled (Russian
Pantsyr S-1)
# # # # SA-16 Gimlet MANPADS (Russian 9K310 Igla-1)
# # # # SA-14 Gremlin MANPADS (Russian 9K34 Strela 3)
# # # # SA-7 Grail MANPADS (Russian 9K32 Strela-2)
# # N/A Misagh-1 man-portable SAM
# # N/A Misagh-2 man-portable SAM
# N/A N/A N/A HQ-23/2B (CSA-1)
# N/A N/A N/A HN-5A MANPADS (China)
Army Aviation
(For additional information on the equipment listed below, search our Weapons Database. Equipment is of U.S. origin unless otherwise noted.)
AUG06 OCT07 FEB09 AUG10 AIRCRAFT
Utility/Observation
2 2 2 2 F27 Mk 400M Troopship/F27 Mk 600 Friendship
transport (Netherlands)
4 4 4 4 Turbo Commander 690 liaison
10 10 10 10 Cessna 185A Skywagon utility (U.S. U-17)
1 1 1 1 Dassault Falcon 20E-2 (France)
Helicopters
50 50 50 50 AH-1J Cobra attack
20 20 20 20 CH-47C Chinook heavy transport
50 50 50 50 Bell 214A/C Isfahan transport/SAR
(U.S. Bell 214 Super Transporter)
68 68 68 68 AB205A-1 transport (U.S. UH-1H Huey)
10 10 10 10 AB206A/-B Jetranger scout (OH-58A Kiowa)
25 25 25 25 Mi-8/17 transport (Russia)
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
# # # # Mohajer III/II/IV
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