Armed forces of the world

Iran's military system is unique: it coexists the Army, preserved from the times of the Shah, and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), created after the 1979 revolution, and both the Army and the IRGC have their own ground forces, air force and navy. The IRGC performs the functions of a “second army” and, at the same time, internal troops of the Islamic regime. The coexistence of the Wehrmacht and SS troops in Nazi Germany can be considered a certain analogue of such a system. In fact, part of the IRGC is the Basij people's militia, with a potential number (after mobilization) of several million people. In addition, the IRGC includes a structure that performs strategic reconnaissance and sabotage functions - the Qods special forces. Both the Army and the IRGC are subordinate to the spiritual leader of Iran (now Ayatollah Khamenei), and president-elect- only one of 11 members of the Supreme National Security Council.

The central governing body of the Armed Forces is the General Staff. There is a Main Political-Ideological Directorate and the same departments of the Armed Forces. There is an apparatus of Islamic observers, without whose sanction no decisions of commanders are valid (that is, this is a complete analogue of the Bolshevik commissars in the Red Army during the Civil War).

Currently, the Iranian Armed Forces are among the most eclectic in the world in terms of military equipment. They have weapons: American, English and French, surviving from the times of the Shah; Chinese and North Korean, supplied during the 1980-1988 war with Iraq and after it; Soviet and Russian, re-exported from Syria, Libya and North Korea during the war or purchased from the USSR and Russia after its end; own, copied from foreign samples. Most of the weapons and equipment are outdated, and with regard to Western models, there is also the problem of lack of spare parts. The most new physically is the technology of our own production. Iran largely follows the Chinese practice of copying almost any foreign design it has. However, the scientific, technical and production capabilities of the Iranian military-industrial complex are much lower than those of the Chinese military-industrial complex, therefore most of domestic technology It is of very low quality, which is why it enters the aircraft in small quantities. Of course, international sanctions have a negative effect on the Iranian Armed Forces, because of which it can conduct legal military cooperation only with the DPRK, which is also under sanctions.

During the war with Iraq, Iranian armed forces personnel, as a rule, demonstrated a very low level of combat training (which was partly compensated by high fanaticism). There are serious doubts that over the past quarter of a century, radical changes for the better have taken place in this regard.

Since the losses of the Iranian Armed Forces during the war with Iraq and, on the other hand, the trophies captured during this war, the current technical condition of military equipment and the production capabilities of the military-industrial complex are not known exactly, the number of weapons of the Iranian Armed Forces is estimated very approximately (this is how one should treat the given below figures). Also, the data on organizational structure Iranian Armed Forces, especially ground forces.

Below is the total number of weapons and equipment for the Army and the IRGC. Affiliation with the IRGC is specifically stated in cases where it is reliably known.

Ground troops The armies are divided into 4 territorial commands, each of which includes one army corps: Northern (2nd AK), Western (1st AK), Southwestern (3rd AK), Eastern (4th AK). Most of the units are deployed in the west of the country. It is not possible to give the exact composition of the commands (AC) due to the regular rotation of units and formations between them.

In total, the Army's ground forces have 4 armor tank divisions(16th, 81st, 88th, 92nd), 3 mechanized divisions (28th, 77th, 84th), 3 infantry divisions (21st, 30th, 64th ), 3 armored brigades (37th, 38th, 71st), 2 infantry brigades (40th, 41st), 6 artillery brigades (11th, 22nd, 23rd, 33rd I, 44th, 55th). There are also powerful mobile and special forces - the 23rd Airborne and 58th Airborne Divisions, the 55th and 65th Airborne Brigades, the 25th, 44th and 66th Airborne Brigades , 35th and 45th Commando Brigades.

The ground forces of the IRGC have 26 infantry, 2 mechanized, 2 tank divisions, 16 infantry, 6 armored, 2 mechanized, 1 RCBZ, 1 psychological warfare brigade, 10 groups (missile, RCBZ, communications, air defense, engineering, 5 artillery).

The Tondar tactical missiles are in service (from 20 to 30 launchers and 100-200 missiles, firing range up to 150 km). They are copied from the Chinese M-7 missiles, which, in turn, are based on the HQ-2 anti-aircraft missiles (a Chinese copy of the Soviet S-75 air defense system). There are also approximately 250 Luna, Ohab and Shahin-2 tactical missiles, up to 500 Nazit and Iran-130.

Iran's tank fleet is extremely diverse. The most modern are 570 Soviet T-72s. There are also many old tanks - from 100 to 200 English “Chieftains” and up to 400 “Mobarez” (“Chieftains”, modernized in Iran itself), up to 300 Soviet T-62s and North Korean “Chonma-ho” created on their basis, up to 190 Safir tanks modernized in Iran (Soviet T-54/55 with a 105-mm M60 tank gun) and up to 100 T-54/55 themselves, up to 100 Chinese Tour 59, up to 250 Tour 69 and up to 500 T-72Z (Ture 59/69 with 105 mm cannon), up to 150 American М60А1, from 40 to 100 М48, from 75 to 150 local "Zulfikar-1" and 5 "Zulfikar-3" (М48/60 with T-72 turret) , from 50 to 170 M47 and "Sabalan" (local modernization of the M47 with a 105 mm cannon). In addition, from 80 to 130 are in service English lungs Scorpion tanks and 20 Tosan tanks created on their basis.

The ground forces are armed with 35 Brazilian EE-9 armored personnel carriers, approximately 1,200 infantry fighting vehicles (up to 600 infantry fighting vehicles (BMP-1s) and up to 190 of their local analogs "Borag", 413 infantry fighting vehicles (BMP-2s), up to 850 armored personnel carriers (up to 200 American M113A1, up to 150 Soviet armored personnel carriers) -50, up to 45 BTR-152 and up to 300 BTR-60, approximately 50 domestic "Raksh" and up to 140 VMT-2 "Cobra" (wheeled with a BMP-2 turret)).

Self-propelled artillery includes up to 60 Soviet self-propelled guns 2S1 and their local analogues "Raad-1" (122 mm), approximately 180 American M109 and their local analogues "Raad-2", several wheeled self-propelled guns - howitzers NM-41 on trucks (155 mm) , 18-20 North Korean M-1978 (170 mm), from 25 to 40 American M107 (175 mm) and from 30 to 38 M110 (203 mm). There are numerous towed guns - up to 200 American M101A1 (105 mm), from 100 to 500 Soviet D-30 and their local copies NM-40, up to 100 Chinese Toure 60 (122 mm), at least 800 Soviet M-46 and similar Chinese Ture 59 (130 mm), up to 30 Soviet D-20 (152 mm), approximately 120 Austrian GHN-45, up to 100 American M114 and their local copies NM-41, 15 Chinese Type 88 (aka WAC-21), up to 30 South African G-5 (155 mm), from 20 to 50 American M115 (203 mm). The number of mortars reaches 5 thousand.

Iran is the main enemy of the United States in the Middle East and in the world. One of the main goals of the United States is regime change in Iran and the elimination of the theocratic state that it currently is.

Taking into account everyone latest events, The United States has all the necessary resources in the Middle East for a military invasion of Iran. A variety of experts have repeatedly stated this scenario for the development of the situation, and representatives of the US Army, according to some reports, have ready plan actions coordinated with the Israeli army.

However, heated discussions in the media about the possibility of an invasion take place without any analysis of the military capabilities of Iran and the United States. Meanwhile, it depends on this whether the invasion of Iran will ultimately take place or not. And not from the mood of the US President. Therefore, below we will try to objectively assess Iran’s military potential, which it can oppose to the United States. And possible US forces that could be deployed for the operation.

Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran:

Number of Iranian army

Army personnel unit- 120-140 thousand soldiers and officers. Conscripts - another 200-230 thousand people. That is, about 350 thousand soldiers and officers are constantly in service.

To this we can add the IRGC - the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. These are a kind of guards units, separated from the army and subordinate directly to the Ayatollah of Iran, bypassing the president, minister of defense and other authorities. Their number is 125 thousand soldiers and officers.

The country's mobilization capacity is about 20 million people. Of these, 11 million who belong to the paramilitary organization Basij have a minimum level of training.

Tank forces

There are many tanks in service, but they are all outdated models. Iran has about 650 tanks made in the UK and the US, which were supplied before the Islamic revolution in the country. But due to the lack of spare parts and repairs, no more than 25-30% of them are in service.

More than 1,000 T-72s form the backbone of Iran's tank forces. These are mainly modernized T-72S, which are produced under license in Iran itself. And tanks supplied from the USSR, and later from Russia.

A serious advantage of the Iranian military-industrial complex is the independent production of tanks. First of all, this is the Safir-74 tank, created on the basis of the Soviet-made T-54 and T-55. About 600-700 units of this tank are in service with the IRGC and the army.

More modern is the Zulfiqar tank, which is based on the T-72. So far, no more than 200 units of this tank have been produced, but it is expected that in the future it will become the main combat vehicle of Iran's tank forces.

In addition, Iran independently produces Tousan light tanks, which are used mainly by reconnaissance units. This tank is a modification of the Borah infantry fighting vehicle or the Scorpion infantry fighting vehicle. The difference is in more solid weapons - Tousan has a 90-mm cannon, instead of a machine gun or an automatic 20-mm BMP cannon.

In fact, only the T-72 and Zulfiqar, created on its basis, are capable of resisting modern tanks. All other tanks, even during battles with enemy infantry, will suffer heavy losses.

Air Force and Air Defense

The Air Force of the Islamic Republic of Iran is made up of obsolete Western-made aircraft such as the F-4, F-5. F-14 and combat vehicles from Russia and China. About 40 MIG-29 and 30 SU-24 fighters are in service. China purchased about 30 J-7 fighters based on the MIG-21.

The helicopters that the Iranian Air Force has are about 100 AH-1J Cobras, once purchased in the United States, and approximately the same number of helicopters of its own production, developed on the basis of Bell-205 and Bell-206. Of the hundreds of Cobras, no more than 60% are in service, the rest cannot fly due to lack of spare parts.

Iran is actively working to create its own aircraft. The supersonic fighter Sejeh, created on the basis of the F-4, has been tested and the Tazarv combat training aircraft is in development.

Iran's air defense systems are represented by various caliber systems. The most modern are 10 S-200 and 29 Tor-M1 air defense systems. According to some reports, there are 2-3 more S-300 complexes purchased in the CIS countries.

Outdated air defense systems include 45 Chinese-made HQ-2Js, about 150 Improved Hawks and no a large number of FM-80 produced in China.

The Iranian Air Force is unable to operate outside the country, striking enemy targets. Their maximum is supporting their army on the territory of the country and air cover of the main air defense centers and other strategic objects.

Iranian Navy

The surface fleet consists of 5 destroyers, 3 frigates, 2 corvettes, 10 missile boats, 10 landing ships and about 50 patrol boats. These are mostly obsolete models that would be quickly destroyed in the event of a collision with modern warships.

Three low-noise 877-Halibut submarines delivered to Iran from the USSR and posing a real threat to US ships in Persian Gulf.

Another plus for the Navy is the Chinese-made HY-2 Silkworm and YJ-2 shore-based missiles. Copied from the Soviet P-15 missile and American rocket"Harpoon". Their range allows them to effectively protect the coast from landings.

Iran Missile Forces

This is one of the main components of the country's armed forces, which is the most dangerous for opponents. In total, Iran has three ballistic missiles, small and medium range. Shihab-1 and Shihab-2 are based on the Soviet SCAD missile, their range is 300 and 700 kilometers, respectively. The Shihab-3 missile hits targets at a distance of up to 1,500 kilometers.

Thus, Iranian ballistic missiles are capable of hitting any targets in the Middle East, including US military bases,

United States Armed Forces:

These are the resources that the Iranian army has. Let's now evaluate military power grouping of US troops, which may be directed against the Iranian Republic.

Ground troops

The total number of US ground forces is about 500 thousand people. About 350 thousand more soldiers are National Guard. But the likelihood of its use outside the country is extremely low.

Naturally, only some part of these troops can be allocated for the operation in Iran. Taking into account US operations in the world and the total size of the army, this may be no more than 200-250 thousand soldiers and officers.

Here it is worth taking into account that all of these are career military personnel, well trained and technically equipped. In terms of military potential, 200 thousand US soldiers approximately correspond to 1.5 - 2 million conscripts from Iran, Russia, China or any other country in the world, with rare exceptions.

Separately, it is worth noting the Corps Marine Corps USA, which numbers up to 60 thousand soldiers and officers. As a rule, these are connections with high level training and rich combat experience, which are used at the forefront of the attack.

Tank forces

The presence of a large amount of modern military equipment allows the US Army, given its size, to represent a global military force. So on this moment, tank units are armed with 5,850 M1A1 and M1A2 Abrams tanks in various modifications. This is one of the most effective modern tanks, which in terms of its performance characteristics is significantly ahead of the T-72S and Zulfiqar, which are in service in Iran.

The operation could involve up to 2,000 Abrams tanks, some of which are currently in Iraq. The rest can be quickly transferred to the Persian Gulf countries.

US Air Force

The US Air Force operates 145 strategic bombers, including 64 B1Bs and 19 B-2s with reduced visibility to enemy radar. There are 213 A-10 and OA-10A attack aircraft in infantry support.

The fighters are 396 F-15 Eagles, 217 F-15E Strike Eagles, 738 F-16 Fighting Falcons and 139 F-22 Raptors, which remains the world's leading combat fighter in mass production.

The helicopters in the US Air Force are about 60 Sikorsky HH-60Gs known under the designation “Black Hawk”. They are used to support infantry in certain operations. In addition, the ground forces have a large number of support helicopters, but organizationally these helicopters are not part of the US Air Force,

US transport aviation - more than 400 aircraft of various modifications. Among them are 35 giants C-5 Galaxy, 158 C-17A and 151 C-130U/H/J. The resources of transport aviation allow us to quickly transfer troops and equipment to anywhere in the world.

Unmanned aerial vehicles - 118 MQ-1 Predator, 27 MQ-9 Reader and 13 RQ-4 Global Hawk. Modern combat vehicles make it possible to carry out strikes and conduct reconnaissance without risk to pilots.

In addition, the Air Force includes electronic warfare, radar detection and control aircraft (124 units); special purpose airplanes and helicopters (about 50 units); training and refueling aircraft.

In terms of performance, the US Air Force is clearly superior to the Iranian Air Force. And in the event of a conflict, they will completely dominate the air.

US Navy

The US Navy is the most powerful militarily. They include about 300 ships and are organizationally divided into 6 fleets and a Command (1 fleet).

The US Navy includes 11 aircraft carriers, of which 10 (Nimitz-class) carry 66 combat aircraft, including 48 F/A 18 Hornet fighters.

22 missile cruisers, armed with Tomahawk cruise missiles, ASROS anti-submarine missiles and Standard anti-aircraft missiles. In addition to them, the Navy includes 56 Arli Black missile destroyers, also armed with cruise and anti-submarine missiles.

The submarine force consists of 71 nuclear submarines, 14 of which carry nuclear-tipped ballistic missiles.

Landing ships provide the ability to transport troops to any region of the world and land them on enemy coasts. These are 2 headquarters landing ships, 10 universal landing ships, 9 landing helicopter dock ships, 12 landing transport dock ships.

In addition, the Navy includes two hospital ships and 14 mine-sweeping ships.

As you can see, the composition of the US Navy leaves no doubt that they are able to suppress the coastal defenses of Iran and ensure an amphibious landing.

Analysis of the situation

Now let's analyze the situation in more detail. It is clear to the naked eye that technically the US Army is seriously superior to Iran in its technical indicators. One of Iran's main advantages before the occupation of Iraq was the fact that the Americans would have had to land in the narrow Persian Gulf, which, taking into account Iran's coastal defense, would have led to inevitable naval losses. Now, the invasion can begin from the territory of Iraq, which greatly facilitates the task of the American military.

However, this does not negate the task of taking control of the airspace. And here the US Air Force will certainly suffer serious losses. Especially if Iran actually has at least 1-2 S-300 systems. Although 29 Tor-M1s together with the S-200 are capable of ruining the lives of American fighter pilots. Mig-29s are not bad aircraft, but there are too few of them to seriously fight for air. The SU-24s will most likely be used to support Iranian infantry and will be quickly destroyed.

Cruise missiles are an excellent tool for destroying air defenses. But to launch them, you need to control the Persian Gulf. This means destroying Iran’s coastal defenses from the air. That is, the US operation will definitely begin with air strikes on Iran. The second phase will most likely be massive cruise missile strikes followed by an invasion by ground forces.

Another threat to the United States and Israel is Iran's ballistic missiles. If launched successfully, they could cause serious damage to both US military bases and the cities of Israel (which will definitely be an ally of the US in the event of an operation).

Therefore, the task of destruction ballistic missiles is another core mission of the US Air Force. In principle, this is feasible, but will inevitably lead to significant losses.

As for ground battles, Iran's main advantage is the ability to quickly mobilize within the Basij. This will allow the Iranian command to challenge American troops with a numerical advantage. And if Iran focuses on strengthening all populated areas in the path of the invading forces, then the United States will be stuck in street battles for a long time.

Although all this is only feasible if Iran has several days to mobilize and organize defense. And the country's air force and air defense will not be completely destroyed in the first two days of the operation. That is, the regular army and the IRGC will have to hold back US troops until reinforcements in the form of mobilized reservists begin to arrive from the rear. In this case, Iran has every chance of successfully containing American troops and even going on the offensive, despite the loss of control over the air and the coastal defense line.

Thus, a US operation against Iran is a big risk for the American military command. Firstly, it is associated with large losses in personnel and equipment. Secondly, there is a chance that the US will lose the war and be forced to retreat. In this case, the reputation of a great military power will be significantly damaged. Third, rocket troops Iran, if they carry out a successful strike, could completely destroy a number of US military bases in the region, which will lead to enormous losses. And again - the collapse of the reputation of the US Army.

Summary - military operation The US against Iran is extremely unlikely. And in the current conditions it is unlikely to take place.

The supreme commander of the armed forces is the Shah. The Shah exercises direct control of the armed forces through the headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief ( General base) and the War Ministry. Moreover, the headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief is the main governing body armed forces, and the War Ministry deals only with administrative, economic and financial issues.

It is carried out on the basis of the law on universal conscription, according to which every Iranian who has reached the age of 19 is considered liable for military service. Service life is two years. General management of recruitment is entrusted to the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The registration of those liable for military service and the conduct of conscription are carried out by special conscription centers created under gendarmerie units (gendarme troops are subordinate to the Ministry of Internal Affairs). Call for military service produced several times a year. The headquarters of the branches of the armed forces send applications for the required number of recruits to the department of universal conscription of the Ministry of Internal Affairs two months before the start of the next conscription.

Persons conscripted into the army are sent to training centers of the armed forces, where they undergo initial training for four months. military training. In these centers, recruits study regulations and instructions, the material part of weapons, engage in fire, tactical, combat and physical training, and study the Persian language (most of the recruits are illiterate or semi-literate). After preparation in training centers recruits take the oath and are distributed in parts. At the end of their active service, soldiers are discharged from the army and enlisted in the reserves.

According to foreign press, the total number of regular armed forces of Iran is more than 180 thousand people. In addition, the gendarmerie has about 40 thousand people, who, with the emergence of conflict situations come under the command of the military command.

The main and most numerous type of armed forces are the ground forces, numbering about 160 thousand people. They have six divisions, including three armored divisions, as well as several separate brigades (infantry and airborne).

The Iranian ground forces are armed with mainly American-made military equipment: M47 and M60A1 tanks, M113 armored personnel carriers, 105 mm and 155 mm howitzers, 81 mm and 106.7 mm mortars and other weapons. As of mid-1971, the ground forces had 860 medium tanks and 300 armored personnel carriers.

IN last years Iran's military-political leadership pays great attention to strengthening its armed forces, equipping units and formations modern types weapons and military equipment.

In order to increase the combat effectiveness of the ground forces and increase their firepower and striking power, the Iranian command is taking measures to purchase new types of weapons and military equipment abroad, mainly in the UK and Italy. In particular, in 1971, he purchased about 800 tanks from the UK, intended to replace outdated equipment and create mobilization reserves of armored vehicles, a batch of ATGMs was ordered in the USA, which are planned to be equipped with tank units and army aviation units, an order was placed in Italy for Agusta helicopters Bell."

The Iranian Air Force is armed with American-made aircraft: F-5, RF-5, F-4, F-86, C-47 and C-130. According to foreign press reports, the Air Force in 1971 had about 180 combat aircraft, including 32 F-4 aircraft and more than 100 F-5 fighters. In the next two to three years, it is planned to further increase the aircraft fleet and some of its renovation. In particular, it is planned to increase the number of F-5 aircraft to 125 units and F-4 aircraft to 128, to replace outdated F-86 fighters with new aircraft, and to form several helicopter squadrons.

Considerable attention is also paid to increasing the number of naval forces designed to ensure Iran's superiority in the Persian Gulf and northern Arabian Sea.

As of July 1971, the composition included about 9 thousand personnel and up to 50 warships and boats, including: a destroyer, four patrol ships, four anti-submarine boats, four base minesweepers, two raid minesweepers, eight airborne boats pillow, four landing ships and about twenty patrol and landing boats. In 1972-1973, the Iranian Navy should include four more patrol ships armed with ship-to-ship missiles and several hovercraft being built in the UK.

According to the foreign press, the military-political leadership of Iran, increasing its armed forces and equipping them modern weapons, pursues the goal of filling the vacuum in the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Sea, which allegedly formed after the British withdrawal from this area in December last year.

If the world were ideal, then no armies or weapons would be needed and there would never be wars. But the reality is that threats both abroad and within the state pose national security at risk. This reality forces many states to have a powerful army in the form of human potential and weapons.
There are several outstanding armies that are widely known for their size, combat experience and military equipment. They are among the ten largest armies in the world.

1. China

The first place in the world in terms of army size is unsurprisingly taken by the most populous country in the world, Chinese People's Army. This nation is known not only for its large territory, but also for its huge population and, accordingly, the largest army. The Chinese People's Liberation Army was founded in 1927.

Its main part consists of citizens aged 18 to 49 years. Number of people: 2,300,000. Budget $129 billion per year. About 240 installations for launching nuclear missiles. The Chinese army is well trained and has large resources in weapons and mobilization resources in the event of war, it can put 200,000,000 people under arms. It is armed with 8,500 tanks, 61 submarines, 54 surface ships and 4,000 aircraft.

Russian army

The Russian army is one of the most experienced in the world. Its strength is 1,013,628 military personnel (according to the presidential decree of March 28, 2017). The annual budget is $64 billion and ranks 3rd in the world in terms of military spending. In service are 2,867 tanks, 10,720 armored vehicles, 2,646 self-propelled guns, 2155 towed artillery pieces. Russia also has the largest number of nuclear warheads in the world.

3.United States of America

US Army

The US Army was founded in 1775. The United States currently has 1,400,000 active military personnel and 1,450,000 in the active reserve. The defense budget is what truly sets the US apart from all the other countries on the list; it is over $689 billion per year.
The United States also has the most trained troops and a powerful arsenal. Its ground forces use 8,325 tanks, 18,539 armored combat vehicles, 1,934 self-propelled guns, 1,791 towed artillery pieces, and 1,330 nuclear warheads.

Indian Army

Located in southern Asia, India is the world's largest arms importer. With a strength of 1.325 thousand soldiers and officers. The Army's military budget is $44 billion a year. There are also about 80 nuclear warheads in service.

5. North Korea

North Korean Army

North Korea has a well-trained and coordinated army of 1,106,000, as well as a large number of reservists, 8,200,000 as of 2011. It also has a large number of weapons, they include: 5,400 tanks, 2,580 armored vehicles, 1,600 self-propelled guns, 3,500 towed artillery pieces, 1,600 air defense systems and other powerful weapons. Military conscription in this state is compulsory for everyone; the period of military service is 10 years.
While the totalitarian regime in North Korea built a large army, most of its military equipment is considered obsolete. However, they have nuclear weapons, which in turn poses a threat to the stability of peace in this region.

6. South Korea

Photo of the South Korean Army

Next on the list of the largest armies in the world is the South Korean army. In this state, the conscription age is from 18 to 35 years, the service period is 21 months.
Its armed forces are called the Republic of Korea Army. It uses both domestic and imported weapons. It is armed with 2,300 tanks, 2,600 armored vehicles, 30 air defense systems and 5,300 artillery pieces. The number of its troops reaches approximately 1,240,000 people.

7. Pakistan

Pakistan Army

The Pakistan Army rightfully ranks among the largest armies in the world. Its population is 617,000 people and personnel reserve about 515,500 people as of 2011.
Its ground forces use a wide range of weapons: 3,490 tanks, 5,745 armored vehicles, 1,065 self-propelled guns, 3,197 towed artillery pieces. The Air Force is armed with 1,531 aircraft and 589 helicopters. The naval force consists of 11 frigates and 8 submarines. With a budget of just over $5 billion, it is the smallest budget of the top ten military powers. Pakistan may be a small country in size, but it is undoubtedly one of the largest armies in the world in terms of size and military prowess. This army is also a permanent ally of the United States.

Iranian army

They say that the most powerful army in the Middle East is the army of Iran. Iran is also known for its large troop numbers. It has approximately 545,000 personnel, divided into 14 infantry divisions and 15 air bases. Their army is equipped with 2,895 tanks, 1,500 armored vehicles, 310 self-propelled guns, 860 air defense systems, 1,858 aircraft and 800 helicopters. The defense budget is just over $10 billion.

Turkish army

Türkiye has the largest army at the meeting point of Asia and Europe. Citizens are called up for service at the age of 20. Conscription lasts approximately 6 to 15 months, depending on the educational level of the students. The strength of the Turkish army is 1,041,900 people, of which 612,900 are regular military personnel and 429,000 are in the reserve. Its army is also well armed and has 4,460 tanks, 1,500 self-propelled guns, 7,133 armored vehicles, 406 air defense systems, 570 airplanes and helicopters. The annual budget of this army is 19 billion dollars.

10. Israel

Israeli army

The army of the State of Israel is known as the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Men over 18 years of age are subject to conscription every year. Every year, about 121,000 men can be drafted into the army to serve in any of its military units. Currently, the Israeli army consists of 187,000 regular military personnel and a reserve of 565,000 people. As a result, the number of troops in the Israel Defense Forces is about 752,000. The army is equipped with last word equipment and is armed with 3,870 tanks, 1,775 armored vehicles, 706 self-propelled guns, 350 towed artillery pieces, and 48 air defense systems.

Not all countries in the world need a large army for reliable protection. However, maintaining peace and order would be impossible without a well-organized and armed army.

The most important player in the Middle East is Iran. Despite difficult relations with a number of countries in the region and some world leaders, this state maintains and increases its potential in various fields, including in the field of the armed forces. The specifics of the situation in the Middle East force official Tehran to devote Special attention development of the army and its weapons. As a result, the Iranian armed forces are among the most powerful in their region.

At the end of April it was published updated version the famous Global Firepower rating, which determines the defense potential of many countries around the world. The development of the army and related areas allowed Iran to take 20th place in general list. With this result, he was ahead of many countries in his region, behind only Turkey (8th place), Egypt (12th place) and Israel (15th place). Iran's score using the GFP method is 0.4024. Let's consider the factors that allow the Iranian army to have a very high potential, as well as take its place in various ratings.

Troops on parade.

Current situation in the Iranian Armed Forces in an interesting way is described in the latest reference book The Military Balance 2017. The authors of this publication write that Iran still maintains a specific army, which has a lot of outdated equipment, but is also staffed with well-trained personnel, and also has strategic nuclear weapons, which are a key element of security. Indeed, the Iranian army still has some types of weapons and equipment that have long been decommissioned in other countries. However, even at this, the country manages to maintain a fairly high potential.

For now Iran's population exceeds 82.8 million people. About half of the population is fit for service; each year, conscription age reaches 1.4 million people. In total, the armed forces employ 523 thousand people. There is also a 350 thousand reserve, consisting of retired personnel and volunteers.

The most interesting feature of Iran's armed forces is their division into two separate structures with their own command. There is a full-fledged army with ground forces, air force and navy. In addition, there is a separate structure called the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which also has its own ground forces, air force and navy. Despite the formal separation, both the army and the IRGC have similar goals and in most cases must work together.

MBT "Karrar" is one of the latest developments in Iran.

The most numerous structure in the Iranian armed forces is the ground forces. They serve 350 thousand people. Troop control is carried out by five headquarters with division of areas of responsibility by region. The ground forces have 8 armored brigades, 14 mechanized brigades, 12 light infantry and one airborne brigade. There are also aviation and artillery units. The ground forces include 10 special forces brigades with different functions.

Iran has a large fleet of armored vehicles, including a variety of models, including long-outdated ones. Armored units have more than 1,500 tanks of several types. The most numerous (560 units) are the T-55 family vehicles of Soviet, Chinese and domestic production. There are also 480 newer T-72s. The troops have obsolete American M47, M48 and M60 in significant quantities. There are 610 Soviet-designed infantry fighting vehicles. The fleet of armored personnel carriers (at least 640 units) includes both tracked vehicles of the M113 type or domestic equivalents, as well as wheeled BTR-50 and BTR-60 Soviet-built ones. There are at least 35-40 repair, recovery and other auxiliary armored vehicles.

Artillery units are armed with up to three hundred self-propelled units with guns up to 203 mm caliber. There are combat vehicles of Soviet, American and Iranian production. The most numerous self-propelled guns in Iran is the American M109 - there are one and a half hundred such vehicles. More than 2 thousand towed artillery systems of various types with a caliber of up to 203 mm have been retained in service.. As is the case with self-propelled artillery, towed guns were purchased from the USSR/Russia, USA or produced independently. There are approximately 1,500 self-propelled and towed rocket artillery units. The most numerous is the Chinese-made Type 63 launcher - 700 units. The troops have 3,000 mortars with calibers ranging from 81 to 120 mm.

American-made F-14 fighter.

The Ground Forces operate at least 30 operational-tactical missile systems of several types. These weapons represent a further development of Soviet or North Korean systems.

Military air defense has significant amount MANPADS of the Igla and Strela families, as well as similar models of Iranian production. The troops also have more than 1,100 anti-aircraft guns of various types. There are self-propelled armored vehicles ZSU-23-4 (up to 100) and ZSU-57-2 (up to 80). Towed anti-aircraft artillery presented various systems from ZPU-2 machine gun mounts to M-1939 guns.

The Iranian Army also has its own aviation units. There are about three dozen light multi-purpose and training aircraft of several types of foreign production. Troop support is provided by 50 AH-1J Cobra helicopters and 50 HESA Shahed 285 vehicles of its own production. There are 173 transport helicopters, including 20 heavy CH-47 Chinooks and several dozen light Bell 205 and Bell 206. In recent years, the production of unmanned aerial vehicles for various purposes has been mastered.

The army's ground forces are supplemented by similar units from the IRGC. The Corps' ground forces are controlled by 31 regional headquarters and include 2 armored divisions, 3 armored brigades, at least 8 light infantry divisions and more than 5 similar brigades. The airborne troops of the IRGC include one brigade. Ground forces The IRGC is proposed to use the same equipment as the main army.

Su-24 front-line bomber.

The naval forces of the Iranian army are staffed by 18 thousand people. The fleet of the army and the IRGC is armed with almost four hundred ships and boats of various types, and the bulk of this equipment is intended for coastal protection.

The fleet has 21 submarines. The main submarine force is Russian-built Project 877 submarines in the amount of three units. There are also at least 17 small and ultra-small submarines with torpedo weapons, built according to two projects of Iran’s own design.

The surface fleet includes 81 ships and boats. There are seven corvettes of three projects, equipped with missile, artillery and torpedo weapons. 16 missile boats of several types remain in service, with about half of them used by coast guard units. Several dozen torpedo boats of a number of domestic and foreign-built projects are preserved.

Iran has an amphibious fleet of 13 ships and 11 boats. The largest of the landing ships can carry up to 10 tanks or 225 soldiers. Boats have a smaller capacity, but some of them have other capabilities due to the use of an air cushion.

Iranian-developed HESA Shahed 285 combat helicopter.

The mine sweeping forces are represented by five ships of several projects. One of the existing minesweepers, however, is based in the Caspian Sea and is used as a training vessel. The rest can carry out combat missions in the Persian Gulf.

Iran's naval aviation employs 2,600 people. The search and destruction of enemy submarines is assigned to 3 P-3 Orion aircraft and 10 SH-3D helicopters. Also in the interests of the fleet, 16 aircraft and 20 helicopters of various types should be used, intended for auxiliary work.

Coastal defense units have several types of missile systems. Also based on the shore are two marine brigades with a total strength of 2,600 people.

Military transport aircraft C-130.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has its own naval forces, in which 15 thousand people serve. Another 5 thousand have been consolidated into one IRGC marine brigade. The main task of the IRGC fleet is to protect the coast from various threats. For this purpose, it has more than 110 patrol ships and vessels, including those with anti-ship missile weapons. Artillery and torpedo boats. The IRGC has its own landing fleet of four ships. There are coastal defense units armed with missile systems, similar to Navy systems.

There are 18 thousand people serving in the air force. In addition, the Air Force includes air defense troops, in which 12 thousand serve. A characteristic problem of the air force is the presence of a significant amount of outdated foreign equipment. The Air Force has 5 fighter squadrons, 9 fighter-bomber squadrons and 1 similar formation operating front-line bombers. There is one reconnaissance and one maritime patrol squadron. Aviation operations at long distances are provided by tankers from one squadron. Transport tasks are carried out by five squadrons, training is carried out on the basis of four. Most of the helicopters belong to the Army Aviation, but the Air Force also has several similar squadrons.

Fighter aviation is equipped with American and Soviet/Russian-made aircraft. The most widespread (more than 60 units) remains the F-4D/E Phantom II type. There is also a fairly large (more than 55) group of F-5 aircraft. In total, more than 260 fighter aircraft are operated. Attack of ground targets is assigned to 39 Su-24 and Su-25 bombers and attack aircraft.

Frigate "Jamaran".

Transport aviation has 117 aircraft, including 12 heavy Il-76 aircraft, 19 medium C-130 and other equipment. In particular, the fleet of light passenger cars is equipped with several types of aircraft. American Boeing aircraft of several types are used as flying tankers. More than 150 propeller-driven and jet aircraft of several types are used to train pilots.

The helicopter fleet consists of 35-40 helicopters of several models. There are at least two heavy CH-47s and more than 30 medium Bell 214s. Not long ago, the Iranian industry began producing its own transport and multi-purpose helicopters, and their number in the army is constantly growing.

Air defense troops belonging to the Air Force are equipped primarily with missile systems. There are more than 500 complexes in service different types with different characteristics. Portable, stationary and mobile are used missile systems different types of foreign production. The main supplier of air defense systems was Russia, which sold Iran the Tor-M1, S-300PMU2, Strela, etc. systems. There are also older systems of American, British and French production. A small number of artillery installations are in operation.

Coast Guard boats from the IRGC Navy.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps also includes rocket troops, which are the basis strategic forces. This branch of the military includes several formations operating missile systems of various types. It is known that the missile forces are armed with at least 12 mobile systems with Shahab-3 medium-range missiles. Another 10 such missiles have been deployed using silos launchers. There is information about the presence of Sajil-2 missiles. Missile grouping short range is represented by approximately two dozen complexes of the Fateh and Shahab families.

Around the beginning of this decade, a cyber command was created in Iran, whose tasks include working with information systems and solving relevant special tasks. To date, only the very fact of the existence of such a structure is known, as well as its affiliation with the IRGC. Other information, such as the number of personnel, features of technical equipment and tasks to be solved remain a secret. All information about cyber troops is based only on fragmentary information and various estimates.

In 2016, Iran's gross domestic product reached 12,962 trillion reais (more than 412 billion US dollars) - $5,124 per capita. At the same time, there was a GDP growth of 4.5% compared to 2015. Inflation fell over the year from 11.9% to 7.4%. Last year, 499 trillion reais ($15.9 billion) were allocated for defense spending. These expenses made it possible to maintain the armed forces in their current state, as well as to ensure the purchase of various new weapons and equipment.

Modern missile systems at the exhibition.

Noticeable economic growth is ensured by a large number of workers – 29.75 million people. The country has just under 173 thousand km of highways, more than 8440 km railways and 850 km of inland waterways. There are 319 airfields and 3 major seaports. The most important element Iran's economy is based on mining. According to GFP, Iran currently produces 3,236 thousand barrels of oil daily and consumes 1,870 thousand barrels. Proven reserves reach 158 billion barrels.

Over the past few decades, Iran has been forced to live and work under international pressure and lack of access to many necessary technologies, products, etc. However, the mobilization of its own resources and the support of a few friendly states allows the country to obtain the desired results, as well as to have a fairly powerful army that compares favorably with a number of other armed forces in the region.

Limited financial and political opportunities lead to noticeable problems in updating and modernizing the army, however, even in such conditions, Tehran, in general, is coping with the difficulties that arise. Thanks to this, political will and certain military capabilities allow the Iranian administration not only to maintain the current state of affairs, but also to intervene in current conflicts. Thus, Iranian military specialists are involved in the fight against piracy in the Gulf of Aden, assisting peacekeeping operations in Sudan, and also provide serious support to government troops in Syria.

In general, Iran is successfully coping with existing difficulties and solving assigned tasks of one nature or another. The mobilization of forces and resources, combined with ideological preparation and other factors, led to the construction of fairly powerful armed forces with relatively powerful capabilities. From the point of view of defense potential, Iran can quite deservedly be considered one of the leaders in the Middle East region.