Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Aerospace Force

The Air Force of the Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution (AFAGIR), also known as the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Air Force (IRGC AF), is the air force within the Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution (Islamic Revolutionary Guards). Parallel to the regular Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF), the regular air branch of the Military of Iran, the Revolutionary Guards' have their own air force. It shares facilities with the IRIAF.

Aviation forces

Western public sources disagree on which aircraft are operated by the AFAGIR.

The Washington Institute for Near East Policy said in 2005 that 'the backbone of the AFAGIR consists of - at least - ten Su-25 Frogfoot attack aircraft (including seven flown from Iraq to Iran during the 1991 Gulf War, kept airworthy with the help of Georgian technicians) and around forty EMB-312 Tucanos. The Washington Institute also said that the IRGCAF maintained thirty Y-12 and Dassault Falcon 20 light transports, as well as MFI-17 Mushshak and Super Mushshak trainers and locally-built Ababil and Mohajer reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The AFAGIR also operates a sizable rotary-wing force consisting of around twenty Mi-171 helicopters for transport and armed assault roles, and a large transport force out of Shiraz, equipped with around fifteen ex-Iraqi Il-76s (originally operated by the IRIAF) and twelve An-74TK-200 transports. Scramble backs up this picture in general, reporting An-74s, An-14s, and Su-25Ks at Tehran Mehrabad, Chengdu F-7Ms at Zahedan (while saying that MFI-17s were often reported at Zahedan incorrectly), and Il-76 AEW variants at Shiraz Shahid Dastghaib International Airport, while saying that they might be based at Mehrabad. Scramble also said that an unknown number of 'new' Su-25s were delivered in 2003.

However, other later writings make no mention of Su-25s or Il-76s. Anthony Cordesman of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, writing in August 2007, said only the AFAGIR 'may operate Iran's 10 EMB-312 Tucanos', and that it 'seems to operate many of Iran's 45 PC-7 training aircraft' as well as Pakistani-built training aircraft at a school near Mushshak, 'but this school may be run by the regular air force'. He also specifically said that reports of the Revolutionary Guards operating F-7s did not seem to be correct. Cordesman also noted claims of the AFAGIR building gliders for use in unconventional warfare, saying that they would be unsuitable delivery platforms, but could at least carry a small number of weapons. However the attached reference was a 1996 Reuters report, making the sources for such assertions extremely thin. Finally, the IISS Military Balance 2007 makes no mention of aircraft at all, referring only to the Shahab 1,2, and 3 missiles.

Aviation Equipment

Combat aircraft

(all numbers are approximate)

• 13 Sukhoi Su-25 Frogfoot (7 Su-25K/UBK flown over from Iraq and 6 Su-25T/UBT purchased from Russia)
• unspecified number of Chengdu F-7M Airguard (allegedly transferred from the regular IRIAF to the IRGC-AF)
• ~40 Embraer EMB 312 Tucano (light attack model)

Non-Combat

• Ilyushin Il-76 Candid AWACS
• 11 Cooler Antonov An-74TK-200 (4) Antonov An-74T-200 (7)
• ? Antonov An-14 Clod
• Dassault Falcon 20
• ? MFI-17 Mushshak
• ? Embraer EMB 312 Tucano

Helicopters

• 20 Mil Mi-17 Hip-H
• Mil Mi-8 Hip
• Mil Mi-25 Hind D
• Bell UH-1 Iroquois

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

• Ababil
• Mohajer I/II/III/VI

Missile forces

The AFAGIR controls Iran's strategic missile forces. It is claimed to operate several thousand short- and medium-range mobile ballistic missiles, including the Shahab-3/3B with a range of up to 2,100 kilometers, which is the mainstay of Iran’s strategic deterrent. If Iran ever produces nuclear weapons, the AFAGIR is likely to control them.

Despite earlier roots, the Iranian military industry started the missile development program in earnest during Iran's long and costly war with Iraq. At times, throughout the war Iran found that it could not strike certain Iraqi facilities or targets with its own forces. This resulted in an ambitious missile development programme that is still continuing. Today, Iran is developing a space launch vehicles and sophisticated medium-range ballistic missiles. Iran's ballistic missiles possess the capability to deliver a variety of conventional high explosive and submunition, as well as MIRVs.

Short range missiles

Solid fuel program The foundations for this were laid with the Oghab and Shahin-II missiles. These would lead the way for a number of other rocket artillery systems including Fajr, Nazeat, and Zelzal. The initial effort in this area relied heavily on technical help from the People's Republic of China in the form of assembly and manufacturing contracts during 1991 and 1992. Iran was quick to surpass the Chinese level of assistance and became self sufficient.

Liquid fuel program After the war, Iran's experience of liquid fuel missiles had purely focused on the reverse engineering of Scud-B missiles. However, with the post war reorganisation the focus of the effort quickly changed and focused on assembly and maintenance. A domestic version of the Scud-B, known as Shahab-1, was developed and manufactured. This led to its successor the Shahab-2, a variant of the Scud-C, and finally the Shahab-3. All these programs relied heavily on Russian and North Korean assistance. In recent years, Iranians developed multi-stage Shahab-4(now apparently shelved), Shahab-5 and Shahab-6, which are derivations of North Korean Taepodong. Iranian engineers participated in the North Korean Taepodong-2 missile launch on July 4 2006.

Since the end of the war, Iran has consistently attempted to recruit foreign help, as well as its large and highly qualified expatriate population, into its missile program. Iranian expatriates who left with the revolution have been slow to return, but many are now doing so and thus heralding a new age for Iran's missile development programme with their tremendous wealth of technical experience.

Other missile systems Iran has an arsenal of short-range, liquid-fueled missiles including the Scud B and Scud C, and is now able to produce SCUD type missiles on its own, such as the R-17E, a variant of the Russian Scud B. The Aerospace Industries Organization, a subsidiary of Iran's Ministry of Defense, supports the manufacturing process by engaging in SCUD missile restoration. Its short-range missile inventory also includes solid-fueled missiles, such as the Tondar-69 and the Fateh-110.

Also, Iranian artillery rockets include the Samid, the Shahin-II Artillery Rocket, the Naze'at Artillery Rocket, the Zelzal-1, the Zelzal-2 and the Zelzal-3.

Longer range ballistic missiles (1000 km plus)

Fajr-3 MIRV

Main article: Fajr-3 (MIRV)

The Fajr-3 (MIRV) is currently Iran's most advanced ballistic missile. It is a domestically developed and produced liquid fuel missile with an unknown range. What makes it Iran's most advanced rocket is that it has multiple independently targeted reentry vehicles (MIRV) capabilities. Its MIRV capability gives it the ability of avoiding anti-missile Surface-to-air missiles (SAMs). The missile was last launched during Holy Prophet wargames, which was the IRGC' largest naval war games ever. The Fajr-3 MIRV and the Fajr-3 artillery rocket are different systems.

Shahab-3

Main article: Shahab-3

Shahab-3 was the first Intermediate-range ballistic missile that was built by Iran's military. Its first model, also known as Shahab-3A has a range of 1300 km. Soon after Iran came with a new model called Shahab-3B, which has a range of 2000 km, and can carry a heavier warhead. Making this missile was a major step in Iran's missile industry, and it opened the way to longer range missiles. Shahab-3D, which followed the Shahab-3C, is Iran's latest Shahab model. A 2,000 km range does not pose a threat to Poland. Ukraine, Moldova and southern Hungary are the northernmost states at threat from this missile

Jane's Information Group said in 2006 that Iran had six operational Shahab-3 brigades, the first of which was established in July 2003. They said that the six brigades were mainly equipped with standard variants, but with others described as enhanced Shahab-3 variants, with ranges of 1300-km, 1500-km and 2000-km respectively. Anthony Cordesman at the Center for Strategic and International Studies however said only in August 2007 that 'the air force of the IRGC is believed to operate Iran’s three Shahab-3 intermediate-range ballistic missiles units' while noting that their actual operational status remains uncertain.

Ghadr-110

Main article: Ghadr-110

The Ghadr-110 is an medium-range ballistic missile designed and developed by Iran. The missile has a range of 1,800 to 2,000 km. and so is the longest range Iranian missile.

It is believed to be an improved version of the Shahab-3, also known as the Ghadr-101. It it has a liquid-fuel first stage and a solid-fuel second stage, which allowes it to have a range of 2,000 km. It has a higher maneuverability than the Shahab-3 and a set-up time of 30 minutes which is shorter than that of the Shahab-3.

Ashoura

Main article: Ashoura missile

November 2007, Iranian Defence Minister Mostafa Mohammad Najjar announced Iran had built a new missile with a range of 2,000 km, the Ashoura missile. He didn't say how the missile differed from the Shahab-3, which has a range of 2100 km.

He told the gathering Basij milita during the manoeuvers they were holding that same week that: "The construction of the Ashoura missile, with the range of 2,000 km, is among the accomplishments of the Defence Ministry."

According to Jane's Defence Weekly, the Ashoura represents a major breakthrough in Iranian missile technology. It is the first two stage MRBM using solid fueled rocket motors instead of the existing liquid fueled technology used on the Shahab. This would dramatically reduce the setup and deployment time for the missile and hence, shorten the amount of warning time for the enemy. Jane's noted that while the development parallels Pakistan's Shaheen MRBM there is no evidence to suggest there had been any prior technology exchange or with its other known technology partners such as North Korea or China

Sajjil

Main article: Sajjil

The new two-stage solid-fuel missile has a range of nearly 2,000 km, it was tested at November 12, 2008.

Other systems include the Saegheh and many more. See also: List of military equipment manufactured in Iran

External links

• Iran Military pictures and video gallery
• Chart Iran Artillery Rockets
• Iran Missile Programme