ferrettkitt Posted July 10, 2011 Share Posted July 10, 2011 Through another link on Ferrets (it had to be didn't it) I saw this thread on Iranian Chieftain Tanks http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/postwar/17569-iranian-chieftains.html If you look at the link below towards the end you will find a picture of a CVRT Scorpion [/url]http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums/showthread.php?101976-Iran-Iraq-War-1980-88-(Pictures-Sites-Memorials) This is annoying if you use the icon for inserting a hyperlink and then hit return to start a new sentence it carries the hyperlink on!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoelH Posted July 10, 2011 Share Posted July 10, 2011 They all seem to have been captured relatively in-tact (bar the missing engines) - great picture. I also looked at the second link and saw the CVRT - you have to love the jump leads wrapped around the smoke dischargers. There is also a video of one of the Iranian Cheiftain MK5's being hit - the engine deck is a sea of fire - 2 crew members jump out leaving the driver still going. (I won't post a direct link as I don't know if all crew escaped un-harmed). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RecyMech Posted July 10, 2011 Share Posted July 10, 2011 One of my best mates who left the army (REME) just before me went to work on Chieftains for the Shah. He was there about 3 years & then the 'bearded one' took over....him & his missus had to leave everything behind & run like hell when it all kicked off. Got back to blighty with a sun tan & bugger all else. Re the Chieftain getting hit though....looks to me like it copped it from behind dont you think ? Friendly fire maybe ?...or a 'tactical withdrawl' ? H Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
berna2vm Posted July 10, 2011 Share Posted July 10, 2011 Just goes to prove that you can have the finest MBT in the world and it is useless in the hands of muppets.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoelH Posted July 11, 2011 Share Posted July 11, 2011 The destruction of this Cheiftain wasn't an isolated incident - a number of them were destroyed - I have seen another three that had been destroyed by a helicopter attack. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fesm_ndt Posted July 11, 2011 Share Posted July 11, 2011 Are any of them still operational? They are fairly industrious as last time I looked they still has several F15's flying even though tech support and spares were stopped a loooooong time ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jchinuk Posted July 11, 2011 Share Posted July 11, 2011 Are any of them still operational? They are fairly industrious as last time I looked they still has several F15's flying even though tech support and spares were stopped a loooooong time ago. If you mean Iran, they still flying F-14s, which are more complicated than F-15s and Chinooks. They also use F-4, M113s and various US kit. Rumour has it that Israel sourced spares for US kit into Iran during the Iran/Iraq war, as Israel was more concerned with Iraq (hence the fact the IDF bombed the Iraqi nuclear plant). It must be remembered that Iran has a fairly well developed industry, they manufacturer / rebuild BMPs with M113 suspension for example, so 'reverse engineering' spares for vehicles and aircraft is certainly possible. jch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoelH Posted July 11, 2011 Share Posted July 11, 2011 (edited) I think they do still use them - however, they are heavily upgraded - different engine - gearbox - up armoured. This variant is called the Mobarez Tank - see information here. EDIT: They also appear to still use a modified version of the Scorpion - also modified called the Tosan. Cheers, Joel Edited July 11, 2011 by JoelH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LongJohn Posted July 11, 2011 Share Posted July 11, 2011 I spent around 5 years in Iran,"working for the Shah", we were, in fact working for Millbank Technical Services, a wholly owned subsiduary of the Crown Agents and set up to administer this contract. Spent the first two years in Teheran, a team of ten attached to the Shah's Imperial Guard, his personal bodyguard. This was not a few big hairy men looking after His Imperial Highness, but a full brigade, Armour, Infantry, Artillary and Engineers. In our team was a Gun Fitter and ASM from my first posting, the 11TH Hussars, one bloke from my B to A mech conversion course, and another from my 2 -1 Upgraders. It was a fairly comprehensive REME reunion, quite easy living at that time and a whole lot of fun for all. Spent some time in what was to become the war zone, first in Dezful, then in Ahwaz, the final year was back in Teheran, at the Teheran Maintenance Centre, where MTS had created a facility to recondition Chieftain power packs and gearboxes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fesm_ndt Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 If you mean Iran, they still flying F-14s, which are more complicated than F-15s and Chinooks. They also use F-4, M113s and various US kit. Rumour has it that Israel sourced spares for US kit into Iran during the Iran/Iraq war, as Israel was more concerned with Iraq (hence the fact the IDF bombed the Iraqi nuclear plant). It must be remembered that Iran has a fairly well developed industry, they manufacturer / rebuild BMPs with M113 suspension for example, so 'reverse engineering' spares for vehicles and aircraft is certainly possible. jch oops yep F14's :blush: late night last night Yes very interesting as to keep something so complicated flying with no spares support was an amazing feat. The story about the missile sabotage is also interesting. There is a couple of very good Iranian Airforce websites set up by ex officers that were purged. 'reverse engineering' - funny as the most common car on the road two years ago was Hillman Hunters as after the revolution the factory was taken over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RecyMech Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 LongJohn......its a longshot I know but I don't suppose the name Bob 'Noddy' Elder means anything to you from those days with the Shah ?? (REME A Mech, would have been last posted to QOH LAD Hohne) H Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jchinuk Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 'reverse engineering' - funny as the most common car on the road two years ago was Hillman Hunters as after the revolution the factory was taken over. Since 1966, Iran National (now Iran Khodro) of Iran began to manufacture Hillman Hunters from CKD kits, the result being named the Paykan (Persian for arrow) saloon, pick-up and taxi models became known as Iran's national car. Full local production began in 1985, after the original British production lines were closed. The new owner in Britain, Peugeot, established a new contract whereby Iran Khodro would manufacture the Paykan with the same body panels but Peugeot 504 engines and suspension, for six more years. In 1991, Iran Khodro began manufacturing its own parts for the Paykan. In its ultimate incarnation, the Paykan was constructed from 98% locally-made parts. The Paykan saloon ceased production in May 2005, to be replaced by the Peugeot RD, based on the Peugeot 405 platform. The Bardo, the pick-up version of the Paykan is still in production (2011). The production rights for the Paykan have now been acquired by the government of Sudan, and production of the Paykan is expected to restart. I always thought the Hillman Hunter a capable, but rather boring car, however it is forever linked with some of the world's most unstable countries! jch (Shamelessly lifted from Wikipedia) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fesm_ndt Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 Also a lot of interesting Land Rover, reverse engineering The wikipedia site on the Chieftain 'upgrade' seems more propaganda than anything tangible. But I guess that is to be expected. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LongJohn Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 Sorry RechyMech, the name means nothing to me, we were there in quite large numbers, mostly ex- REME, but also at least one ex-Ordnance Corps bloke with each team. At TMC, there were also quite a few "civvies", from the Leyland area to set up and supervise the power pack line, and of course still more people came in later to service the Scorpion contract. Ahhh! The sublime Peykan! Iran National produced two types, the standard or base model and the 1725, or de-luxe model. They were flat-packed to Iran and assembled, or thrown together by the locals, you never, ever got one where the two spoke steering wheel was put on straight, but demand always outstripped supply. 90% of taxis in Teheran were Peykan, painted orange and white and I am sure the Hillman Hunter must set all sorts of export records, un-noticed by almost anyone in this country throughout the course of its production run. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RecyMech Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 Thanks LJ...I said it was a long shot.....small world, but not that small eh ? I recall the aforementioned Bob 'Noddy' Elder had a connection with a Hillman Hunter in Hohne.......well, he rammed one broadside with a 3 series Landrover during practice for exercise June Bug. Ah....happy days:D It was a bigger firm back then. H Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timbo Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 If you mean Iran, they still flying F-14s, which are more complicated than F-15s and Chinooks. They also use F-4, M113s and various US kit. Rumour has it that Israel sourced spares for US kit into Iran during the Iran/Iraq war, as Israel was more concerned with Iraq (hence the fact the IDF bombed the Iraqi nuclear plant). It must be remembered that Iran has a fairly well developed industry, they manufacturer / rebuild BMPs with M113 suspension for example, so 'reverse engineering' spares for vehicles and aircraft is certainly possible. jch If memory serves their F14's are abit like HMS Victory ie almost every component now changed for locally produced. I also seem to remember they reverse engineered the AIM 54 Phoenix missiles that the Tomcats were originally equipped with... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fesm_ndt Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 If memory serves their F14's are abit like HMS Victory ie almost every component now changed for locally produced. I also seem to remember they reverse engineered the AIM 54 Phoenix missiles that the Tomcats were originally equipped with... The long range missile systems, wasn't it AAMRAM (??) was mysteriously sabotaged after the revolution and they could never get it working. From memory they stuck some soviet stuff on there and have a credible history. With driving in Tehran there are two types of drivers, windows down and windows up. Windows up are placid and can't drive. Windows down so when they cut someone off they can yell insults at the others imcompetent driving. Definately not for the faint hearted. Also the road death toll is the highest in the world, a bit like nascar with traffic lights. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyFowler Posted November 25, 2011 Share Posted November 25, 2011 Here is a vid of Iranian Chieftains ! Just need a forum member who speaks Iranian now to tell us what they think of them ! :-D Something went wrong... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulbrook Posted November 26, 2011 Share Posted November 26, 2011 ........and you will all know of course that Challenger was originally FV4030 - or SHAH - and built for Iran. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R Cubed Posted November 29, 2011 Share Posted November 29, 2011 Through another link on Ferrets (it had to be didn't it) I saw this thread on Iranian Chieftain Tanks http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/postwar/17569-iranian-chieftains.html If you look at the link below towards the end you will find a picture of a CVRT Scorpion http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums/showthread.php?101976-Iran-Iraq-War-1980-88-(Pictures-Sites-Memorials) This is annoying if you use the icon for inserting a hyperlink and then hit return to start a new sentence it carries the hyperlink on!! In the top link ww2talk what's the Sherman doing there ? Still in use ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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