Makran IFV

Makran IFV
Type	Infantry fighting vehicle
Place of origin	Iran
Service history
In service	2020–present
Used by	Iran
Production history
Manufacturer	Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps Research and Self-Sufficiency Jihad Organization
Produced	2020–present
Specifications
Length	7.12 meters
Width	3.17 meters
Height	2.39 meters
Crew	3
Passengers	9–12
Main armament	30mm Shipunov 2A42 auto-cannon
Secondary armament	7.62mm PKT coaxial machine gun
Engine	diesel
Suspension	torsion bar
Maximum speed	Estimated between 44 and 80 km/h (Land) 11km/h (Water)

The Makran IFV, an Iranian armoured personnel carrier (APC), is the highly modernized and upsized copy of the BTR-50 APC. The vehicle is produced and designed by the Research and Self-Sufficiency Jihad Organization. It was unveiled in June 2020 by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.^[1] The vehicle is named after the Makran coastal region, a region that stretches between Iran and Pakistan. While the Makran is technically an infantry fighting vehicle, it has a large troop compartment as it is based on the BTR-50, allowing it to dual function as an armoured personnel carrier.

During the period of the Shah, Iran purchased and received around 300 BTR-50's, and during the Iran–Iraq War hundreds were captured. While only 150-270 are estimated to be in service, hundreds are currently in storage, and a couple were given to the Popular Mobilization Forces.^[2] The IRGC realized after the Iran–Iraq War, that the BTR-50s and BTR-60s it had needed more armour and firepower, leading to the development of the Makran, Heidar-6, and Heidar-7.^{[citation needed]} The Sedad, a BTR-60PB with an unmanned ZU-23-2 was developed as a temporary solution.^[3]

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A tour of an IRGC run upgrade facility by Tasnim News Agency appears to show some of the captured BTR-50s and MT-LBs currently in storage, with Raad unmanned turrets being produced in the factory.^[4] Videos posted on YouTube in 2021 appear to show an unpainted prototype moving through water.^[5][6] Another prototype or in-completed Makran was seen in the same Tasnim News Agency video tour, which only had the unmanned turret and side armor upgrades; it was painted in grey and tan, with some unpainted parts.^[4]

In June 2020, the vehicle was displayed for the first time, alongside an upgraded T-72M dubbed "Rakhsh" and a heavily upgraded BTR-60 dubbed "Heidar-7".^[7][8][9]

The Makran has been so heavily upgraded that one may not be able to notice the BTR-50 hull.^{[original research?]} The IFV has upgraded hull modifications: a newly welded frontal armor plate, thicker side armor, and thicker floor plating.^[2][8] It also has a new unmanned turret called "Raad-2",^[10] armed with a Shipunov 2A42 30mm automatic cannon and a 7.62mm coaxial machine gun. The "Raad" unmanned turret contains a brand new fire-control system, a thermal-imaging sensor, night-vision cameras, a laser range finder, 3-6 smoke canister launchers, and is controlled via a display panel in the hull.^{[1][2][10][8]} The laser range finder has a range of 10,000 meters, and the thermal-imaging sensor has a range of 4,000 meters.^[11] The vehicle stores 500 rounds of 30mm ammunition for the Shipunov 2A42 auto-cannon, and 2000 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition for the coaxial machine gun.^[2] The vehicle's driver also has a new cupola and periscope, to fit with the newly molded frontal armor.^[2]

Images^[vague] show two anti-tank guided missiles on display next to the Makran, which may imply that the Makran can carry anti-tank guided missiles.^{[original research?]} Some Iranian sources have also reported that the vehicles can fire "missiles".^[10][9] Reports from GlobalSecurity and various Russian news agencies say it is possible to install ATGMs onto the vehicle, and is an option for purchasers.^[2] The ATGMs may be the Almaz anti-tank guided missile, which is believed by an anonymous "military technology analyst" on Twitter to have been developed from an Israeli Spike ATGM left behind in the 2006 Lebanon War.^[12] Iranian sources report that the ATGMs displayed may be the Toophan instead, another Iranian SACLOS anti-tank guided missile.^[13] However, closer up photos clearly show a Sadid-1 anti-tank guided missile launcher identical to those on Iranian helicopters.^{[original research?]}

Some have claimed, be that incorrectly, that the Makran's turret is that of a BMP-2.^[9] However the two differentiate in size, looks, capability, structure, and adaptability. The reasoning behind an unmanned turret is to increase crew survivability and adaptability, not to increase ammunition storage.^{[citation needed]}

•  Iran Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps