page_title: Islamic Republic of Iran Army Ground Forces
section_title: Equipment
hierarchical_section_title: Islamic Republic of Iran Army Ground Forces / Equipment
caption_attribution_description: English: Iranian Zolfaghar 3 tank
context_page_description: The Islamic Republic of Iran Army Ground Forces, acronymed NEZAJA is the ground forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran Army.
  In Iran, it is also called Artesh, which is Persian for "army." In 2007, the regular Iranian Army was estimated to have 357,000 personnel plus around 350,000 reservists for a total of 700,000 soldiers according to the CSIS. It is the 9th largest ground force in the world, the 9th largest armoured force globally and possesses the biggest Army Aviation fleet in the Middle East. Conscripts serve for 21 months and have professional military training.
  Iran has two parallel land forces with some integration at the command level: the regular Artesh, and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, also known as the Sepaah.
context_section_description: Iran's main battle tanks include an estimated ~1500 or possibly more, indigenous Zulfiqar MBTs, 480 T-72S, 150 M-60A1s, 75 T-62s, 100 Chieftain Mk 3/Mk 5 MBTs, 540 T-54/T-55/Type 59s, and 150 M-47/M-48s.
  The Zulfiqar is the defence industry of Iran's most recent main battle tank, named after the twin-pointed legendary sword of Ali. Born as the brainchild of Brigadier General Mir-Younes Masoumzadeh, deputy ground force commander for research and self-sufficiency of the armed forces, the vehicle has been developed from major components of the American M-60 tank. One of the features which has drawn the attention of the Defense Ministry is that indigenously-made parts have been used in it. The prototypes of the tank were tested in 1993. Six semi-industrial prototypes were produced and tested in 1997. The IISS estimates that around 150 Zulfiqar 1's are now in service.
  The main attack helicopter of the Islamic Republic of Iran Army is the AH-1J Sea Cobra. The number of AH-1Js in service was estimated by the IISS in 2009 as 50, though 202 were delivered before the 1979 Iranian Revolution. Iran also operates an unknown number of the Panha 2091, which is an unlicensed, locally-made upgrade of the AH-1J.
  The main transport helicopter of the Islamic Republic of Iran Army is the CH-47C Chinook. The number of CH-47Cs in service was estimated as 20 though 57 were delivered before the 1979 Iranian Revolution. Islamic Republic of Iran Army lost one of them in 2011.
caption: An Iranian-made Zulfiqar tank
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