Boragh or Boraq () is an

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

ian-made

armoured personnel carrier An armoured personnel carrier (APC) is a broad type of armoured military vehicle designed to transport personnel and equipment in combat zones. Since World War I, APCs have become a very common piece of military equipment around the world. Acc ...

. Boragh is believed to be a

reverse engineered Reverse engineering (also known as backwards engineering or back engineering) is a process or method through which one attempts to understand through deductive reasoning how a previously made device, process, system, or piece of software accompl ...

and upgraded model of the Chinese Type 86 (BMP-1). The upgrades include a reduction in weight, a higher road speed, and stronger armor. The vehicle is fully amphibious and is fitted with an

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...

protection system and

infra-red Infrared (IR; sometimes called infrared light) is electromagnetic radiation (EMR) with wavelengths longer than that of visible light but shorter than microwaves. The infrared spectral band begins with the waves that are just longer than those of ...

night vision equipment. It was reported in May 2002 that three additional variants are produced by the Vehicle and Equipment Group (VEIG) of the Iranian Defence Industries Organisation (DIO). These are a 120 mm mortar carrier, an ammunition resupply vehicle, and an

(APC) fitted with improved armaments.

Description

Boragh is a tracked APC. Rubber elements on the track are added to prevent damage on paved surfaces. It has a crew of three (driver, commander and gunner). It can transport up to 8 infantry soldiers. Boragh's main armament consists of the DShK 1938/46 12.7 mm heavy machine gun on a rotatable mount. Some vehicles have the machine gun mount protected all around by an armoured shield. The vehicle is equipped with an NBC protection system and is capable of laying down a defensive smoke screen by injecting diesel fuel into the exhaust outlet. The vehicle is named after the

Buraq The Buraq ( "lightning") is a supernatural equine-esque creature in Islamic tradition that served as the mount of the Islamic prophet Muhammad during his Isra and Mi'raj journey from Mecca to Jerusalem and up through the heavens and back by ...

, a winged steed from

Islamic mythology Islamic mythology is the body of myths associated with Islam and the Quran. Islam is a religion that is more concerned with social order and law than with religious rituals or myths. The primary focus of Islam is the practical and rational pra ...

Variants

Iran

* Boragh – Reverse engineered BMP-1 or Type 86 (WZ-501) converted into an APC. It is very similar to Chinese WZ-503 APC. It has V-8 turbocharged diesel engine which delivers 330 hp (246 kW). It also has road wheels from the US

M113 The M113 is a fully tracked armored personnel carrier (APC) that was developed and produced by the FMC Corporation. The M113 was sent to United States Army Europe in 1961 to replace the mechanized infantry's M59 APCs. The M113 was first used ...

APC. Combat weight was reduced to 13 tonnes. The other upgrades include a higher road speed and stronger armor. Number of passengers was increased from 8 to 12. The 12.7 mm DShK 1938/46 heavy machine gun (1,000 rounds) serves as a main weapon of the vehicle. ** Boragh APC with a shield around DShK 1938/46 heavy machine gun mount. ** Boragh converted into an IFV. The armament is mounted in a turret. The primary armament consists of the 2A42 30 mm autocannon stabilized in both planes with a double-belt feed. The secondary armament consists of the PKT 7.62 mm tank machine gun, mounted coaxially with the gun. The vehicle is also armed with a mount for an anti-tank guided missile system. Some were also fitted with the complete turret of the BMP-1, armed with a 73mm smoothbore gun. ** Boragh armed with 120 mm mortar. ** Boragh with 1-man turret armed with the Toophan ATGM system. **

Raad-1 Raad-1 ('Thunder-1') is an Iranian self-propelled howitzer. History In May 1996, Iran claimed to have successfully tested its first locally made self-propelled howitzer, the 122 mm Raad-1 ("Thunder-1"). The Raad-1 did not enter production. ...

(Thunder-1) – Boragh converted into a self-propelled howitzer fitted with a turret from the

2S1 Gvozdika The 2S1 ''Gvozdika'' (, "Dianthus caryophyllus, Carnation") is a Soviet Self-propelled artillery, self-propelled howitzer introduced in 1972 and is in service in Russia and other countries . It is based on the MT-LBu multi-purpose chassis, mount ...

. **

Cobra COBRA or Cobra, often stylized as CoBrA, was a European avant-garde art group active from 1948 to 1951. The name was coined in 1948 by Christian Dotremont from the initials of the members' home countries' capital cities: Copenhagen (Co), Brussels ...

– Concept vehicle for the Boragh armed with 23 mm anti-aircraft gun for use as a fire support vehicle. ** Boragh converted into an ammunition resupply vehicle. Boragh

Sudan

* Khatim 1 – Sudanese designation for Boragh. * Khatim 2 – Variant of Khatim 1, houses a mortar.

Operators

* – Around 40 in service as of 2000 and 2002 and 140 as of 2005 and 2008. 140 in service as of 2023The Military Balance, 2023, p.324 * – 10 ordered in 2001 from Iran and delivered in 2003. Some domestically assembled.

References

Sources

Boragh armored infantry fighting vehicle
fas.org {{Weapons of Iran Armoured fighting vehicles of Iran Tracked armoured personnel carriers BMP-1 Military vehicles introduced in the 1990s