Designation: | Cobra |
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Manufacturer: | Defence Industries Organisation (D.I.O.) | |
Product type: | Armoured Vehicles | |
Name: | Tracked armoured personnel carrier |
In addition to the Boraq full-tracked armoured personnel carrier, covered in detail in a separate entry, Iran has also developed at least one other armoured personnel carrier called the Cobra.
This has a very low profile, fully enclosed hull with the engine compartment at the front and the troop compartment at the rear. Entry to the troop compartment is via a large single door in the hull rear. The upper part of the hull sides of the Cobra slope slightly inwards.
The suspension either side of the Cobra consists of six dual rubber-tyred road wheels with the drive sprocket at the front and the idler at the rear; there are no track-return rollers.
On the roof of the prototype Cobra is the locally built Russian ZU-23-2 twin 23 mm light anti-aircraft gun. Although originally developed for the air-defence role, this has also proved to be highly effective in the ground-to-ground role.
In July 1997, it was stated that Iran was also building another type of armoured personnel carrier called the BMT-2, which is armed with a 30 mm gun and can carry seven men. No other details are available. Some sources have indicated that the BMT-2 is the Iranian designation for the Russian BMP-2, which is known to be in service with the Iranian Army. According to United Nations figures, the first three BMP-2 vehicles were delivered to Iran in 1998. Iran is now building the Russian BMP-2 under licence, and the complete turret of the BMP-2 is also fitted on some models of the locally developed Boraq chassis.