AIR FORCE OF THE ARMY OF THE GUARDIANS OF THE ISLAMIC REVOLUTION

The 'Air Force of the Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution' (AFAGIR) 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 Revolutionary Guards' have their own air force. It shares facilities with the IRIAF.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guards' Air Force provides close air support CAS and lift capabilities for the Revolutionary Guards' rapid reaction units.
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; its main training and CAS aircraft. The IRGCAF also maintains thirty Y-12 and Dassault Falcon 20 light transports, as well as MFI-17 Mushaqs and Super Mushaqs trainers and locally-built Ababil and Mohajer reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
The AFAGIR also operates a sizeable 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. Due to their internal security function, the revolutionary guards put great importance on rapid deployment and airborne operations and regularly practices the airborne insertion of troops and equipment over relatively long ranges.
Finally, the AFAGIR operates several hundred short- and medium-range mobile ballistic missiles, including the Shahab-3/3B with a range of up to 2,000 kilometers, which is the mainstay of Iran’s strategic deterrent. If Iran ever produces nuclear weapons, the IRGCAF will likely control them.
Despite these estimations, people must note that it is very difficult to evaluate the real composition of the IRGC's airforce so as the more regular IRIAF. Iran keeps its arsenal under secret while claiming to produce its own weapon systems, including modern aircraft. Although these claims cannot be accurately proven, it seems that the IRGC possesses several factories linked to defence products, including fighter jets and other support aircraft. However, the exact nature of the systems produced there is unknown.

Contents

Equipment

Combat aircraft

Non-combat

Helicopters

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

See also

Equipment

Combat aircraft

(all numbers are an approximation)

★ 10+ Sukhoi Su-25TM 'Frogfoot'

★ Chengdu F-7M 'Skybolt'

★ ~40 Embraer EMB 312 'Tucano'

Non-combat

★ 15 Ilyushin Ilyushin Il-76 "Candid" - some converted to carry AWACS radar

★ 12 Antonov An-74TK-200

★ Antonov An-14

★ ~30 Dassault Falcon 20

★ Saab MFI 17 "Mushaqs"

★ Embraer EMB 312 "Tucano"

Helicopters

★ 20 Mi-17

★ AH-1J Sea Cobra

★ Mi-8

★ UH-1 Iroquois

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

★ Ababil

★ Mohajer I/II/III/VI

See also

★ Military of Iran

★ Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force

★ List of Iranian Air Force aircraft