Fateh (Conqueror / Victor) "semi-heavy" submarine (original) (raw)

BTR-50 / BTR-50mod Makran

The BTR-50 tracked vehicle is based on the chassis of the PT-76 light amphibious tank with an open-topped troop compartment in the center. In the pre-revolutionary period, the Shah had received a thousand water-earth personnel carriers called BTR-50 from the Soviet against selling gas. But, because the Eastern culture were not in tune with such equipment, after the Revolution they had been excluded from the revolutionary organization and delivered into the barracks and to be used as a garrison wall.

During the Holy Defense the armored units of IRGC spoke with Shahid Sayyad Shirazi and requested him to deliver these personnel carriers in order to repair them, because they were needed. Since 1982 to Operation Kheibar, the IRGC succeeded to repair and to replace the Russian Motors of six hundreds of them (out of thousand) with the help of Behzad Nabavi in heavy machinery factories. The speed of these personnel carriers was 10 km/h. They had two powerful turbines which rotated in the swamp and water.

On the eve of Operation Karbala-4, the IRGC had thousand Iraqi personnel carriers and tanks as booty, plus six hundred personnel carriers taken from the army. After repairing them, they had delivered them to Basij in mechanized battalions.

Some 600 personnel carriers were sent to the Joffeir area, where it was called Salman Canal. All of these personnel carriers and had 10 days of training and maneuvering like Karbala 5. The IRGC prepared a very similar zone and then practiced. The final maneuvers were done by Mahdi Brigade, Lashkar-e-Sorallah Brigade, 7th Vali Asraj Division, 38th Zulfiqar Brigade, 280th Armored Brigade. These observations assured the commanding they can enter the region and win definitely, God willing. The units and communication networks were arranged. The personnel carriers could move in sync with the infantry to get to the area and to enter the �Panj Zelei�. The battalion which broke the �Panj Zelei� was a battalion named �Imam Hussein� of the 19th Fajr Division and they were Fars Province forces.

The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Ground Force unveiled several military and defensive achievements on Saturday 27 June 2020 in the presence of IRGC Top Commander Major General Hossein Salami. One of the military equipment unveiled was the amphibious armored vehicle, Makran which is an efficient carrier equipped with a fire control system and a vision site, including a day camera and thermal sensor with a detection power of up to 4,000 meters and a laser rangefinder of 10 km.

Monitoring and shooting with a monitor, fast loading of ammunition, etc. are other features of this personnel carrier. It has additional side and frontal armor, a new driver's periscope/cupola, and an unmanned turret with a 2A42 30mm gun, laser range finder, infrared sensor. The vehicle also seems to be capable of firing ATGMs. As the main weapons used 30-mm automatic cannon 2A42 with 500 rounds of ammunition. A 7.62 mm machine gun is paired with it, with an ammunition of 2,000 rounds. It is possible to install a set of anti-tank guided missiles. The fire control system has a laser rangefinder and a thermal imaging channel, which significantly improves the capabilities of warfare at night. Also reinforced armor protection. Probably the old engine has been replaced with a new, more powerful one.

It is known that the "fifties" are currently withdrawn from the troops and are in storage. It is possible that some of these machines will be upgraded. It is based on the chassis of the 300 BTR-50 and BTR-60 that the King bought from the Soviet Union in 1966 to renovate, for example, to build a light tank. Of those 300, possinbly no more than 100 or 150 are still operational.