Iran

From Camopedia
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Camopedia13.jpg

iran.gif

Islamic Republic of Iran

The present Islamic Republic of Iran (جمهوری اسلامی ایران) can trace its heritage back to the Elamite Kingdom of 2800 BC, and the subsequent Achaemenid, Hellenic Seleucid, Parthian and Sassanid Empires. A constitutional monarchy was established in 1906, but toppled during the Iranian Revolution of 1979.

The Armed Forces of Iran consist of two distinct and separate forces: the conventional Armed Forces (including the Army, Navy, Air Force and Air Defense Force) and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The latter includes branches equivalent to those of the conventional forces, plus Quds Force (special operations) and the Basij paramilitary volunteer force. The Iranian Police Force are primarily charged with domestic law enforcement, but also have special operations and emergency services elements.

The government of Iran has been a frequent supporter of revolutionary insurgent movements around the world, most notably Hezbollah (حزب الله or "party of God), which has been historically active in both Lebanon and Palestine.

Iranian Camouflage Patterns

  • One of Iran's oldest camouflage designs is a brushstroke pattern that can be traced to the Shah period, where it was worn by the Army commandos and Navy special operations units. Some sources have also suggested it was worn by the Imperial Guard. A vertical brushstroke or stripe pattern featuring dark green and brown on a pale green or khaki background, several variations continued in use with this nation for the next twenty years.

Iran3.jpg Iran26.jpg

  • An early copy of the British DPM pattern was worn during the Shah period by Army commando and Navy special boat units.

Iran38.jpg

  • The rare and unique puzzle spot type pattern seen below was worn by the IRGC and Basij units during the Iran-Iraq war.

Iran63.jpg

  • Once an ally of the United States, Iran produced several copies of the US m1942 spot pattern camouflage beginning in the Imperial Period (1970s). Iranian spot pattern is nicknamed "panther" camouflage. The first use seems to have been by Imperial Navy commandos, but they continue to be worn into the present period, with a wide variety of colorways having been produced. The most commonly encountered of these are the tan or desert versions, frequently worn by takavar special operations personnel such as commandos, but also by regular Army units. Panther camouflage was heavily used by Basij volunteer forces during the Iran-Iraq War

Iran5.jpg Iran6.jpg Iran7.jpg Iran8.jpg

  • A variation of this pattern substitutes green for the more common khaki-brown. The version to the left is very early and dates to the Iran-Iraq War, and was worn by both Army and Basij units of the IRGC.

Iran42.jpg Iran56.jpg Iran9.jpg

  • Several other variations are seen here, having distinctive colorways and worn primarily by Basij units of the IRGC, but also by some Army units during the Iran-Iraq War.

Iran10.jpg Iran45.jpg Iran11.jpg Iran12.jpg Iran13.jpg

Iran4.jpg Iran44.jpg Iran51.jpg

  • Dating to the Iran-Iraq War, several vertical brushstroke camouflage designs have also been employed by Basij volunteer units and other units of the IRGC. The standard version, of which many variations are documented, incorporates black, reddish brown and olive green brush strokes on a khaki or tan background. However, there appear to be many variations.

Iran23.jpg Iran29.jpg Iran30.jpg Iran32.jpg Iran47.jpg

Iran48.jpg Iran1.jpg Iran2.jpg Iran57.jpg Iran62.jpg

Iran66.jpg Iran67.jpg

  • Another pattern with a number of variations is a sort of brushstroke design, but without clearly defined vertical pathways. Generally employing four colors: black, green, red, and a tan or khaki background, the patterns are associated with the Basij volunteer units and other members of the IRGC during the Iran-Iraq War. These designs are known colloquially as atishi (fire) and also Shahid Hemmati pattern (after martyred commander Hemmat who died during the war).

Iran27.jpg Iran28.jpg Iran49.jpg

  • Similar to the above pattern, but incorporating irregularly-shaped "islands" or blotches, is another pattern of the Basij volunteer units and frontier forces of teh IRGC during the Iran-Iraq War. They were worn primarily in the Southwest fronts, but there is some evidence to suggest they were also employed along the Western front against Kurdish dissidents. The color theme, black, green and red on tan or khaki, remains the same.

Iran24.jpg Iran25.jpg Iran31.jpg

  • A variation of the four-color desert DPM camouflage pattern first developed in the United Kingdom was also worn by some Basij volunteer units in the 1990s.

Iran14.jpg

  • Another DPM camouflage pattern, having black, forest green and ochre disrupstive shapes on a sandy background, is worn specifically by the NOHED or Niroe Vije Hava Bord (Special Air Service) Brigade 65, also known as the Iranian Rangers (Special Forces). The pattern came into use in the 1990s.

Iran15.jpg

  • The Marines of the Iranian Navy have their own distinctive camouflage design, a derivative of DPM but having "chip" type dots similar those found in the US six-color desert pattern. Several color variations have been documented.

Iran34.jpg Iran35.jpg Iran16.jpg Iran65.jpg

  • Two interesting leaf or ERDL pattern variations have been worn by the Basij or special operations units of the IRGC, dating to the late 1990s.

Iran59.jpg Iran60.jpg

  • The arid leaf design seen below is seldom-seen, but has been documented in use by some installation and prison guards.

Iran68.jpg

  • Several Iranian copies of the US m81 woodland camouflage pattern have been in use since the 1980s. These vary not only in the particular dye colors employed, but occasionally in the alignment of the screens during the printing process. Both the Army and IRGC wear the woodland pattern. In recent years, this was the standard camouflage pattern of the Army, but it is now being replaced by a DPM variant in desert colors.

Iran17.jpg Iran64.jpg Iran18.jpg Iran46.jpg Iran37.jpg

  • The Iranian Air Force wear a distinctive color variation of the woodland camouflage pattern, having black, blue & grey woodland shapes on a pale blue background.

Iran20.jpg Iran61.jpg

  • Units of the Air Defence Forces (Padafand-e Hava-e) wear a leaf style pattern having black, reddish-brown, periwinkle blue, and olive green leaf shapes on a tan background.

Iran52.jpg

  • Yet another woodland variation is worn by the Iranian Police Special Forces & Emergency Brigade (Yegane Emdad). This arid pattern has dark brown, dark green & olive green woodland shapes on a pale orange background.

Iran50.jpg Iran19.jpg

  • A literal copy of the US six-color "chocolate chip" desert pattern camouflage has been worn by the IRGC Sepah Commandos, among others.

Iran21.jpg Iran58.jpg

  • Iranian Military Police and Base Guard units wear a pattern derivative of the US-developed "chocolate chip" but using different screens. The design features blotches of dark brown, light brown and lime green, with "chips" of white & black on a tan base.

Iran22.jpg

  • Presently, units of the Iranian Army wear a desert or arid DPM camouflage pattern, having dark brown, light olive green & sandy-orange disruptive shapes on a sandy background. The pattern was originally issued to members of the Special Operations Brigade 23.

Iran53.jpg

  • A very unique camouflage design is worn by the Iranian Atomic Energy Organization Guards. The design is a pattern of black & white dots within circles over an underprinted shapes in two colors of grey.

Iran54.jpg

  • In the present era, Iranian Police Border Guards and special operations units of the IRGC have worn a copy of the US tricolor desert camouflage pattern. The pattern is called Marz Bani (border guard) by some.

Usa8.jpg

  • Another copy of an American camouflage pattern is worn both by the Iranian Marine Commandos and some units of the Basij. This is a faithful copy of the Universal Camouflage Pattern (UCP) developed for the US Army.

Iran33.jpg

  • Circa 2009, Iran introduced its first pixelated camouflage design, a desert pattern of three shades of brown on a tan background.

Iran55.jpg

  • The arid-desert pattern seen below, based on ERDL or leaf pattern drawings, was introduced in 2010-11 and is now being worn by members of the IRGC.

Iran69.jpg

Notes

We wish to express our gratitude to Mr. Amin Allah Shakeri for his generous assistance in helping create this article.