KH-2002 Khaybar bull-pup tactical assault rifle system
You can find more news at http://www.diomil.ir and http://www.pharosiran.com (latter one requires you fill a strange registration form to receive username and password, and that you pay for it, so... ). Anyway... The Iranian Military Arsenals, since much before the Islamic Revolution, have been manufacturing the .32-Acp M-1317 pistol, which was an Iranian clone of the Walther PPK; it was standard sidearm for police and for military officials, and it's now out of both production and service. They also manufactured 8x57JS Mauser-style bolt-action rifles, and license-made Heckler&Koch MP-5 series submachineguns and G3-series battle rifles. D.I.O (the Defense Industries Organization of the Islamic Republic of Iran) now manufactures: 9x19mm ZOAF PC-9 selfloading pistol (15-rounds magazines): Iranian clone of the SIG-Sauer P-226; 9x19mm TONDAR submachinegun (15-rounds or 30-rounds magazines): Iranian clone of the HECKLER&KOCH retractable-stock MP5-A3; 9x19mm TONDAR-LIGHT submachinegun (15-rounds or 30-rounds magazines): Iranian clone of the HECKLER&KOCH MP5-K; 7'62x51mm G3-A6 fixed-stock and G3-A7 collapsing-stock battle rifles (20-rounds magazines): Iranian clones of the HECKLER&KOCH G3-series rifles. Those weapons are STILL being manufactured, and are the standard infantry weapons for the Iranian Armed Forces. 7'62x51mm MG-3 belt-fed machinegun: Iranian version of the German RHEINMETALL MG-42/59. These are just part of the basis production of D.I.O., see their website for further informations and other products. There is, furthermore, another company, PHAROSIRAN Ltd., which is unclear whether only exports or has manufacturing capabilities. The following products are to be related to them: -A .9x19mm (13-rounds) Iranian clone of the BROWNING HIGH-POWER pistol, only with SA/DA working system and equipped with tactical frame rail and threaded barrel for sound suppressor, destinated to Police SWAT-like teams; -A .5'56x45mm (STANAG magazines) assault rifle called the S-5'56; it is a clone of the Chinese NORINCO CQ (rough copy of the M16-A1), but bears similarities with both designs (CQ-style handguard and stock, M16-style grip, sights and others). It is purported to be a Police weapon; -The .5'56x45mm (STANAG magazines) KH-2002 "Khaybar" bull-pup tactical assault rifles system, which has three different barrel lenghts and that's bound to become the newest standard assault rifle for the Iranian Armed Forces. It's a bull-pup modification of the above-mentioned S-5'56, so it's a bull-puped AR-15, not AR-18; -A .7'62x39mm in-production clone of either AK-47M (fixed-stock) and AK-47MS (underfolding-stock); it's not purported to enter service within the Armed Forces, but only to find use within the Police and the Army Reserve (especially with the female personnel), or to be issued as a large-scale "civilian militia" weapon to organize guerrilla-like resistence units in the event of a foreign invasion; -A .7'62x54R (10-rounds magazines) clone of the SVD "Dragunov" semi-automatic marksmanship rifle; -A .40x46SR single-shot version of the American M-203 grenade launcher, to fit under the above-mentioned AK-style, G3-style, S-5.56 and KH-2002 assault weapons; it should be single-action and trigger-less (activated via a button on the side, much like the German HK-79). It is already in service within Armed Forces and Police. My guess is that they are shifting from .7'62x51mm to .5'56x45mm because EVERYBODY else is going for it, including much Countries around, and because it is the service cartridge of the closest, and more powerful, enemy, the USA, which might attack Iran from one day to another; under this point of view, the possibility to use enemy-captured ammunitions might be crucial. The process is not going to end soon anyway, as the KH-2002 is bound to be first deployed within Special Forces of military and police first. Also, the fact that they have decided to manufacture AK clones (chambered for the greatly most widespread cartridge in the area, cheap and easy to make in great quantities and to mantain) might indicate that they are preparing to resist in the event of a full-scale attack.
Photos and information from: P. Tendas
Website by:
E-Image Agency
