Fath Safir

Safir (Persian: سفیر; Arabic: سَفِيْر, romanized: Safīr, meaning "traveler") is an Iranian 4x4 multipurpose military vehicle built by Fath Vehicle Industries.^[2] The Safir weighs 1.5 tonne and is based on the M38.^[1] The jeep can be distinguished from the M38 due to the sharp angled body panels, hood and grille.^[3]

Safir
A Safir on a parade, 2023.
Type	Multipurpose military vehicle
Place of origin	Iran
Service history
Used by	See Operators
Production history
Manufacturer	Fath Vehicle Industries
Produced	2008-Present (Iran) 2013-Present (Sudan)
Variants	See Variants
Specifications
Mass	1.62 tonnes. 2.35 tonnes fully loaded
Length	3.726 m
Width	1.69 m
Height	1.88 m
Crew	1 (+5 passengers)
Main armament	12x Fajr 1 107 mm rockets, or a 106 mm recoilless rifle or a Toophan anti-tank missile launcher
Engine	Nissan Z24 diesel engine 105 hp
Power/weight	44.68 hp/tonne
Suspension	Coil spring
Operational range	500 km[1]
Maximum speed	130 km/h

It has been supplied to Iraq via militia forces since it is inexpensive and affordable to produce them in mass numbers.^[4]

History

The Safir was officially unveiled in 2008. In the ceremony, Iranian defense minister said that 3,000 Safirs were built in that year, and Fath industries would deliver 5,000 more vehicles to defense industry per year.^[5] The jeep was seen in public media outside of Iran with its use under pro-Iranian militias fighting against Islamic State.^[6]

Sudan makes the Safir under license as the Karaba VTG01, which was publicly shown to visitors at the IDEX 2013 convention in the United Arab Emirates.^[7]

Variants

Safir has a modular build and has many models. These include:^[1][8]

• A version equipped with 12 Fajr 1 107 mm rocket tubes.^[2]
• A version equipped with a 106 mm recoilless rifle (M40) for use against enemy armored vehicles ^[2]
• A model equipped with a Toophan anti-tank missile launcher to counter enemy tanks ^[2]
• A model equipped with 9K11 Malyutka anti-tank missiles (Probably Iranian produced Ra'ad)
• A model equipped with Tosan anti-tank missiles
• A variant equipped with a Grenade launcher
• Command vehicle
• Ambulance
• Radio wave emitter
• Tracked variant for snowy terrain
• Safir-4 with extended chassis

Operators

•  Iran: Used by the Iranian military.^[9]
•  Iraq: Provided Safirs to PMU paramilitary.^[10]
•  Sudan: Made under license as Karaba VTG01.^[7]
•  Syria: Seen in use with Syrian Armed Forces.^[11]
•  Libya: Used by the Libyan National Army.^[12]

Non-state actors

• Known to be used by Kata'ib Hezbollah, the Badr Army and Peshmerga forces.^[4]
• Known to be used by the Islamic State and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, captured vehicles.^[4]
• Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba^[13]
• Kata'ib Sayyid al-Shuhada^[13]
• Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq^[13]
• Liwa al-Zulfiqar^[13]
• Liwa Fatemiyoun^[14]
• Saraya Ansar al-Aqeeda^[13]
• Saraya al-Salam^[13]
• Saraya Ashura^[13]
• Saraya al-Khorasani^[13]

Gallery

• 
  Safir 1
• 
  Standard variant
• 
  Standard variant
• 
  Command & communication variant
• 
  Command & communication variant
• 
  ATGM variant with Tosan missile
• 
  ATGM variant with Toophan missile
• 
  Recoilless rifle variant
• 
  Tracked variant
• 
  MLRS variant
• 
  Safir 4
• 
  Variant used by the Iranian Police

References

1. "Safir 4x4 jeep light tactical vehicle technical data sheet specifications description intelligence pictures video | Iran Iranian army wheeled armoured vehicles UK | Iran Iranian army military equipment armoured UK". Archived from the original on 15 February 2019. Retrieved 2 July 2019.
2. "واحد مرکزی خبر | IRIB News". Iribnews.ir. Archived from the original on 10 September 2012. Retrieved 15 August 2012.
3. "Safir". www.offroadvehicle.ru. Archived from the original on 11 March 2016. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
4. "Iranian Safir light tactical vehicles in Iraq". Armament Research Services. 9 August 2015. Archived from the original on 17 October 2018. Retrieved 2 July 2019.
5. "آغاز توليد انبوه انواع خودروي تاكتيكي سفير در وزارت دفاع". 25 December 2007. Archived from the original on 13 November 2014. Retrieved 14 May 2013.
6. "Iran's Latest Tactic Against Islamic State — Send in the Battle Buggies". 24 June 2016. Archived from the original on 15 February 2019. Retrieved 2 July 2019.
7. "Karaba VTG01 4x4 light tactical vehicle technical data sheet specifications description information | Sudan Sudanese army wheeled armoured vehicles | Sudan Sudanese army military equipment vehicles UK". Archived from the original on 8 April 2019. Retrieved 2 July 2019.
8. Oryx. "The Oryx Handbook of Iranian Fighting Vehicles". Oryx Blog. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
9. "Falaq light rocket launcher on Safir 4×4 tactical vehicle Iran Iranian army defense industry armyreco – Soldier of Fortune Magazine". Archived from the original on 15 February 2019. Retrieved 2 July 2019.
10. "ANALYSIS: Al-Quds, Iran's long arm in the region - al Arabiya English". 24 August 2017. Archived from the original on 15 February 2019. Retrieved 2 July 2019.
11. "Spotlight on Iran (November 8 – 22, 2015)". 22 November 2015. Archived from the original on 16 February 2019. Retrieved 2 July 2019.
12. Mitzer, Stijn; Oliemans, Joost (23 March 2021). "Tracking Arms Transfers By The UAE, Russia, Jordan And Egypt To The Libyan National Army Since 2014". Oryx Blog.
13. "Iraq: Turning a blind eye: The arming of the Popular Mobilization Units" (PDF). Amnesty International. 5 January 2017. Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 March 2017. Retrieved 2 July 2019.
14. Puxton, Matteo (25 February 2019). Macé, Maxime (ed.). "Pour se battre en Syrie, l'Iran enrôle massivement des Afghans chiites". France Soir (in French). Archived from the original on 27 February 2019. Retrieved 2 July 2019.

External links

• Video