Tuesday
Sep292009
What is Iran's Military Capacity?
Tuesday, September 29, 2009 at 7:44
The Latest from Iran (29 September): The Forthcoming Test?
Receive our latest updates by email or RSS SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FEED
Buy Us A Cup of Coffee? Help Enduring America Expand Its Coverage and Analysis
As Iran tested long-range missiles on Monday , Reuters considered Tehran's military capacity in the context of a possible war between Iran and Israel.
Amidst talk of an Israeli pre-emptive strike, Tehran issued another defiant statement. "If this [Israeli attack] happens, which of course we do not foresee, its ultimate result would be that it expedites the Zionist regime's last breath," Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi said on state television.
ARMED FORCES: Iran has more than 523,000 personnel in active service. Major General Ataollah Salehi is the armed forces chief.
ARMY: The army comprises about 350,000 men, including 220,000 conscripts. The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, viewed as the most loyal guardian of the ruling system, has another 125,000 men. In 2004 the army was organized in four corps, with four armored divisions and six infantry divisions.
There are 1,600 tanks including some 100 Zulfiqar locally produced main battle tanks. A large number of Iran's tanks are elderly British-made Chieftains and U.S.-made M-60s. Soviet-made T-54 and T-55s, T-59s, T-62s, and T-72s were also part of the inventory, all captured from the Iraqis or acquired from North Korea and China. A report from the International Institute for Strategic Studies says that some of the tanks' serviceability may be in doubt.
There are around 640 armored personnel carriers. There are 8,196 artillery pieces of which 2,010 are towed, and over 310 are self-propelled.
MISSILES: In a 2007 parade to mark the anniversary of 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war, Iran unveiled its Shahab 3 missile, saying it could travel 2,000 km, enabling it to hit Israel and U.S. bases in the region. Another missile at the parade, the Ghadr 1, can reach targets 1,800 km (1,100 miles) away. It was believed to be the first time it has been shown publicly. In November 2008, Iran said it test-fired a Sejil missile with a range of close to 2,000 km.
NAVY: There are 18,000 naval personnel. The navy has its headquarters at Bandar-e Abbas. Iran's navy has three Russian Kilo class submarines, three frigates, and two corvettes.
As of 2001 the regular Iranian navy was in a state of overall obsolescence because it had not been equipped with modern ships and weapons. The readiness of the three frigates is doubtful, and the two nearly 40-year-old corvettes do not have sophisticated armaments.
In late 2007 Iran launched a new locally made submarine and a navy frigate Jamaran. Jane's Defense Weekly has reported that Iran was also building missile-launching frigates copied from 275-tonne Kaman fast-attack missile craft originally purchased from France in the late 1970s.
AIR FORCE: The air force has some 30,000 personnel and 319 combat aircraft. There are F-14 and MiG 29 aircraft, Russian-built Sukhoi Su-24s and 25s, and Iran also has transport aircraft and helicopters. There are also some aircraft impounded from Iraq. However, serviceability may be as low as around 60 percent of U.S. aircraft types and 80 percent of Russian aircraft.
In September 2007, Iran said it had tested two new domestically-produced jet fighters. State television said the Saegheh was a new generation of the Azarakhsh (Lightning) fighter. Iran said it was being built on an industrial scale.
Receive our latest updates by email or RSS SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FEED
Buy Us A Cup of Coffee? Help Enduring America Expand Its Coverage and Analysis
As Iran tested long-range missiles on Monday , Reuters considered Tehran's military capacity in the context of a possible war between Iran and Israel.Amidst talk of an Israeli pre-emptive strike, Tehran issued another defiant statement. "If this [Israeli attack] happens, which of course we do not foresee, its ultimate result would be that it expedites the Zionist regime's last breath," Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi said on state television.
ARMED FORCES: Iran has more than 523,000 personnel in active service. Major General Ataollah Salehi is the armed forces chief.
ARMY: The army comprises about 350,000 men, including 220,000 conscripts. The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, viewed as the most loyal guardian of the ruling system, has another 125,000 men. In 2004 the army was organized in four corps, with four armored divisions and six infantry divisions.
There are 1,600 tanks including some 100 Zulfiqar locally produced main battle tanks. A large number of Iran's tanks are elderly British-made Chieftains and U.S.-made M-60s. Soviet-made T-54 and T-55s, T-59s, T-62s, and T-72s were also part of the inventory, all captured from the Iraqis or acquired from North Korea and China. A report from the International Institute for Strategic Studies says that some of the tanks' serviceability may be in doubt.
There are around 640 armored personnel carriers. There are 8,196 artillery pieces of which 2,010 are towed, and over 310 are self-propelled.
MISSILES: In a 2007 parade to mark the anniversary of 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war, Iran unveiled its Shahab 3 missile, saying it could travel 2,000 km, enabling it to hit Israel and U.S. bases in the region. Another missile at the parade, the Ghadr 1, can reach targets 1,800 km (1,100 miles) away. It was believed to be the first time it has been shown publicly. In November 2008, Iran said it test-fired a Sejil missile with a range of close to 2,000 km.
NAVY: There are 18,000 naval personnel. The navy has its headquarters at Bandar-e Abbas. Iran's navy has three Russian Kilo class submarines, three frigates, and two corvettes.
As of 2001 the regular Iranian navy was in a state of overall obsolescence because it had not been equipped with modern ships and weapons. The readiness of the three frigates is doubtful, and the two nearly 40-year-old corvettes do not have sophisticated armaments.
In late 2007 Iran launched a new locally made submarine and a navy frigate Jamaran. Jane's Defense Weekly has reported that Iran was also building missile-launching frigates copied from 275-tonne Kaman fast-attack missile craft originally purchased from France in the late 1970s.
AIR FORCE: The air force has some 30,000 personnel and 319 combat aircraft. There are F-14 and MiG 29 aircraft, Russian-built Sukhoi Su-24s and 25s, and Iran also has transport aircraft and helicopters. There are also some aircraft impounded from Iraq. However, serviceability may be as low as around 60 percent of U.S. aircraft types and 80 percent of Russian aircraft.
In September 2007, Iran said it had tested two new domestically-produced jet fighters. State television said the Saegheh was a new generation of the Azarakhsh (Lightning) fighter. Iran said it was being built on an industrial scale.
1940 GMT: Pedestrian offers 
Our colleague Evan Siegel