Iran Military Stats
Author: Edsel.G
The Iranian Armed Forces is considered by many observers to be one of the strongest armed forces in the Middle East. Long-standing conflicts with other Arab states and its hatred towards Israel have led to the creation of the powerful Iranian military.
It is noteworthy that Iran has had favorable relations with the US in the past. In fact, the US had once supplied the country with weapons in the clandestine operation known as Iran Contra Affair. However, following the 1979 Iranian Revolution and the installation of a theocratic regime, relations soured and the US, along with its Western allies, started imposing economic and military sanctions on the country.
Still, despite the limited opportunities to acquire foreign military equipments, Iran managed to establish a powerful military through several means:
Purchasing weapons from countries such as North Korea and China;
Creating their own indigenous weapons using existing foreign platforms as models Indeed, the Iranian military is known for its locally made weapons which, according to Western and Israeli analysts, have fairly destructive capabilities. Its missiles, including and especially the Fateh, are capable of penetrating deep into enemy territory to hit heavily reinforced targets. The US and Israel believe that these weapons are especially designed and created in order to terrorize Israeli civilian centers when the right opportunity comes. It must be remembered that Iran does not recognize the state of Israel and is traditionally and religiously bent on eliminating the ‘Zionists’ from the face of the earth.
As of late, Iran is believed to be on the process of creating nuclear weapons. This is denied by the regime, however, saying that their nuclear development is solely for civilian and scientific purposes and that the country has the right to acquire nuclear power, just like all other countries..
Israel and the US have not ruled out military actions against Iran, with the former convinced that the creation of nuclear weapons by the Iran is a very serious existential threat. Of course, a military is something that is thought of very carefully by Israel, particularly because Iran’s defensive capabilities are close, if not on par, with that of the armies of developed countries.
Definitions
- Air force > Combat aircraft: Number of fighter aircrafts (fixed wing aircrafts with combat capability).
- Armed forces growth: Growth in the number of armed forces personnel from 1985 (index = 100) to 2000. 100 means no growth, 50 means it halved and 200 means it doubled.
- Armed forces personnel: Total armed forces (2000)
- Armed forces personnel per 1000: Total armed forces (2000). Figures expressed per thousand population for the same year.
- Army > Attack helicopters: Number of attack helicopter (includes helicopters that have some attacking capabilities).
- Army > Main battle tanks: Number of main battle tanks.
- Battle-related deaths > Number of people: Battle-related deaths (number of people). Battle-related deaths are deaths in battle-related conflicts between warring parties in the conflict dyad (two conflict units that are parties to a conflict). Typically, battle-related deaths occur in warfare involving the armed forces of the warring parties. This includes traditional battlefield fighting, guerrilla activities, and all kinds of bombardments of military units, cities, and villages, etc. The targets are usually the military itself and its installations or state institutions and state representatives, but there is often substantial collateral damage in the form of civilians being killed in crossfire, in indiscriminate bombings, etc. All deaths--military as well as civilian--incurred in such situations, are counted as battle-related deaths.
- Battle-related deaths > Number of people per million: Battle-related deaths (number of people). Battle-related deaths are deaths in battle-related conflicts between warring parties in the conflict dyad (two conflict units that are parties to a conflict). Typically, battle-related deaths occur in warfare involving the armed forces of the warring parties. This includes traditional battlefield fighting, guerrilla activities, and all kinds of bombardments of military units, cities, and villages, etc. The targets are usually the military itself and its installations or state institutions and state representatives, but there is often substantial collateral damage in the form of civilians being killed in crossfire, in indiscriminate bombings, etc. All deaths--military as well as civilian--incurred in such situations, are counted as battle-related deaths. Figures expressed per million population for the same year.
- Branches: The names of the ground, naval, air, marine, and other defense or security forces
- Budget: Annual defense budget in billion USD.
- Conscription: A description of the status of conscription in the nation in 1997.
- Expenditure > Current LCU: Military expenditures data from SIPRI are derived from the NATO definition, which includes all current and capital expenditures on the armed forces, including peacekeeping forces; defense ministries and other government agencies engaged in defense projects; paramilitary forces, if these are judged to be trained and equipped for military operations; and military space activities. Such expenditures include military and civil personnel, including retirement pensions of military personnel and social services for personnel; operation and maintenance; procurement; military research and development; and military aid (in the military expenditures of the donor country). Excluded are civil defense and current expenditures for previous military activities, such as for veterans' benefits, demobilization, conversion, and destruction of weapons. This definition cannot be applied for all countries, however, since that would require much more detailed information than is available about what is included in military budgets and off-budget military expenditure items. (For example, military budgets might or might not cover civil defense, reserves and auxiliary forces, police and paramilitary forces, dual-purpose forces such as military and civilian police, military grants in kind, pensions for military personnel, and social security contributions paid by one part of government to another.)
- Expenditures > Dollar figure: Current military expenditures in US dollars; the figure is calculated by multiplying the estimated defense spending in percentage terms by the gross domestic product (GDP) calculated on an exchange rate basis not purchasing power parity (PPP) terms. Dollar figures for military expenditures should be treated with caution because of different price patterns and accounting methods among nations, as well as wide variations in the strength of their currencies
- Expenditures > Dollar figure per capita: Current military expenditures in US dollars; the figure is calculated by multiplying the estimated defense spending in percentage terms by the gross domestic product (GDP) calculated on an exchange rate basis not purchasing power parity (PPP) terms. Dollar figures for military expenditures should be treated with caution because of different price patterns and accounting methods among nations, as well as wide variations in the strength of their currencies. Figures expressed per capita for the same year.
- Expenditures > Percent of GDP: Current military expenditures as an estimated percent of gross domestic product (GDP).
- Global Peace Index: The Global Peace Index is comprised of 22 indicators in the three categories ongoing domestic or international conflicts; societal safety; and security and militarization. A low index value indicates a peaceful and safe country.
- Manpower > Reaching military age annually > Males: The number of draft-age males and females entering the military manpower pool in any given year and is a measure of the availability of draft-age young adults.
- Manpower reaching military age annually > Males: This entry is derived from Military > Manpower reaching military age annually, which gives the number of males and females entering the military manpower pool (i.e., reaching age 16) in any given year and is a measure of the availability of military-age young adults.
- Military branches: This entry lists the service branches subordinate to defense ministries or the equivalent (typically ground, naval, air, and marine forces).
- Military expenditures: This entry gives spending on defense programs for the most recent year available as a percent of gross domestic product (GDP); the GDP is calculated on an exchange rate basis, i.e., not in terms of purchasing power parity (PPP). For countries with no military forces, this figure can include expenditures on public security and police.
- Military service age and obligation: This entry gives the required ages for voluntary or conscript military service and the length of service obligation.
- Navy > Aircraft carriers: Number of aircraft carriers.
- Navy > Amphibious warfare ships: Number of amphibious warfare ships.
- Navy > Corvette warships: Number of corvettes.
- Navy > Cruisers: Number of cruisers.
- Navy > Destroyers: Number of destroyers.
- Navy > Frigates: Number of frigates.
-
Navy > Patrol boats:
Number of patrol boats (Includes minesweepers).
- Navy > Submarines: Number of patrol boats (includes minesweepers).
-
Nuclear weapons > Non-Proliferation treaty sign date:
Signed.
No date was available from the Wikipedia article, so we used the date of retrieval.
-
Paramilitary personnel:
Paramilitary.
No date was available from the Wikipedia article, so we used the date of retrieval.
- Personnel: Armed forces personnel are active duty military personnel, including paramilitary forces if the training, organization, equipment, and control suggest they may be used to support or replace regular military forces.
- Personnel > Per capita: Armed forces personnel are active duty military personnel, including paramilitary forces if the training, organization, equipment, and control suggest they may be used to support or replace regular military forces. Per capita figures expressed per 1,000 population.
- Personnel per 1000: Armed forces personnel are active duty military personnel, including paramilitary forces if the training, organization, equipment, and control suggest they may be used to support or replace regular military forces. Figures expressed per thousand population for the same year.
- Service age and obligation: This entry gives the required ages for voluntary or conscript military service and the length of sevice obligation.
- WMD > Missile: A description of the nation's situation with regards to the possession and manufacture of missile weapons of mass destruction
- WMD > Nuclear: A description of the nation's situation with regards to the possession and manufacture of nuclear weapons
- Weapons of mass destruction > Chemical Weapons Convention ratification: Date of ratification of the Chemical Weapon Convention (CWC) of countries who either declared chemical weapon stockpiles, are suspected of secretly stockpiling them, or are running chemical weapons research programs.
-
Weapons of mass destruction > Chemical weapons possession:
Status of possession of chemical weapons of countries that either declared chemical weapon stockpiles, are suspected of secretly stockpiling them, or are running chemical weapons research programs.
SOURCES: Wikipedia: List of countries by level of military equipment (List); calculated on the basis of data on armed forces from IISS (International Institute for Strategic Studies). 2001. The Military Balance 2001-2002. Oxford: Oxford University Press; IISS (International Institute for Strategic Studies). 2001. The Military Balance 2001-2002. Oxford: Oxford University Press; IISS (International Institute for Strategic Studies). 2001. The Military Balance 2001-2002. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Population figures from World Bank: (1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects, (2) United Nations Statistical Division. Population and Vital Statistics Report (various years), (3) Census reports and other statistical publications from national statistical offices, (4) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics, (5) Secretariat of the Pacific Community: Statistics and Demography Programme, and (6) U.S. Census Bureau: International Database.; Uppsala Conflict Data Program, http://www.pcr.uu.se/research/UCDP/.; Uppsala Conflict Data Program, http://www.pcr.uu.se/research/UCDP/. Population figures from World Bank: (1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects, (2) United Nations Statistical Division. Population and Vital Statistics Report (various years), (3) Census reports and other statistical publications from national statistical offices, (4) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics, (5) Secretariat of the Pacific Community: Statistics and Demography Programme, and (6) U.S. Census Bureau: International Database.; All CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 18 December 2008; Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Geneva, Switzerland, 1997. Data collected from the nations concerned, unless otherwise indicated. Acronyms: Amnesty International (AI); European Council of Conscripts Organizations (ECCO); Friends World Committee for Consultation (FWCC); International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights (IHFHR); National Interreligious Service Board for Conscientious Objectors (NISBCO); Service, Peace and Justice in Latin America (SERPAJ); War Resisters International (WRI); World Council of Churches (WCC); World Development Indicators database; All CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 18 December 2008. Population figures from World Bank: (1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects, (2) United Nations Statistical Division. Population and Vital Statistics Report (various years), (3) Census reports and other statistical publications from national statistical offices, (4) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics, (5) Secretariat of the Pacific Community: Statistics and Demography Programme, and (6) U.S. Census Bureau: International Database.; http://www.visionofhumanity.org/#/page/indexes/global-peace-index, Global Rankings. Vision of Humanity.; CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 28 March 2011; CIA World Factbooks 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013; Wikipedia: List of parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (Ratified or acceded states); Wikipedia: List of countries by number of military and paramilitary personnel (The list); World Development Indicators database. Population figures from World Bank: (1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects, (2) United Nations Statistical Division. Population and Vital Statistics Report (various years), (3) Census reports and other statistical publications from national statistical offices, (4) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics, (5) Secretariat of the Pacific Community: Statistics and Demography Programme, and (6) U.S. Census Bureau: International Database.; The Nuclear Threat Initiative; Bonn International Center for Conversion (BICC); Wikipedia: Chemical weapon proliferation; Wikipedia: Chemical warfare (Efforts to eradicate chemical weapons)
Citation
Iran Military Profiles (Subcategories)
- Iran ranked first for manpower fit for military service > males age 16-49 amongst Middle Eastern and North Africa in 2013.
- Iran ranked third for armed forces personnel amongst Muslim countries in 2000.
4
The Iranian Armed Forces is considered by many observers to be one of the strongest armed forces in the Middle East. Long-standing conflicts with other Arab states and its hatred towards Israel have led to the creation of the powerful Iranian military.
It is noteworthy that Iran has had favorable relations with the US in the past. In fact, the US had once supplied the country with weapons in the clandestine operation known as Iran Contra Affair. However, following the 1979 Iranian Revolution and the installation of a theocratic regime, relations soured and the US, along with its Western allies, started imposing economic and military sanctions on the country.
Still, despite the limited opportunities to acquire foreign military equipments, Iran managed to establish a powerful military through several means:
Purchasing weapons from countries such as North Korea and China;
Creating their own indigenous weapons using existing foreign platforms as models Indeed, the Iranian military is known for its locally made weapons which, according to Western and Israeli analysts, have fairly destructive capabilities. Its missiles, including and especially the Fateh, are capable of penetrating deep into enemy territory to hit heavily reinforced targets. The US and Israel believe that these weapons are especially designed and created in order to terrorize Israeli civilian centers when the right opportunity comes. It must be remembered that Iran does not recognize the state of Israel and is traditionally and religiously bent on eliminating the ‘Zionists’ from the face of the earth.
As of late, Iran is believed to be on the process of creating nuclear weapons. This is denied by the regime, however, saying that their nuclear development is solely for civilian and scientific purposes and that the country has the right to acquire nuclear power, just like all other countries..
Israel and the US have not ruled out military actions against Iran, with the former convinced that the creation of nuclear weapons by the Iran is a very serious existential threat. Of course, a military is something that is thought of very carefully by Israel, particularly because Iran’s defensive capabilities are close, if not on par, with that of the armies of developed countries.
Posted on 07 Apr 2014
Edsel.G
247 Stat enthusiast
