The Armed Forces of the Imperial State of Iran (Persian: نيروهای مسلح کشور شاهنشاهی ايران) include the IIA (ارتش کشور شاهنشاهی ایران) and the Law Enforcement Force (شهربانی مملکت شاهنشاهی ایران).
These forces total about 650,000 active personnel (not including the Law Enforcement Force). All branches of armed forces fall under the command of General Headquarters of Armed Forces (ستاد
Imperial Iranian Ministry of War
کل نیروهای مسلح). The Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics is responsible for planning logistics and funding of the armed forces and is not involved with in-the-field military operational command.
Wars[]
- Repress of Azerbaijan Uprising
- Dhofar War
- Iran-Soviet War
- The Second Korean War
- The Persian Gulf War
- UN Peace Keeping Mission in Bosnia
- Iraq War
Imperial Iranian Army[]
Imperial Iranian Army Coat of Arm
the Army is a largely mechanized and armored force of about 385,000 troops; organized in 4 corps, with 2 headquarters in Tehran,1 in Ahwaz in the south, and 1 in Kermanshah near the Iraqi border. There are additional plans for a fifth corps to be established at the newly built Zahedan Military complex, at the eastern Part of Iran.
Its major formations include the following:
- Four armored divisions (plus one more being organized in Sistan Baluchistan, possibly the 88th Armored Division): each with six tank battalions and five mechanized infantry battalions,
- Four infantry divisions,
- Three foreign bases (One in Oman, One in Bosnia and another in Georgia)
- Four independent brigades (1 armored, 1 infantry, 1 airborne and 1 special forces)
- Imperial Iranian Army Aviation with 500 plus, helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft.
These combat units, backed up by the usual complement of support units, are said to be 95 percent operational.
Iranian AH-1 Super Cobra
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Imperial Iranian Navy Coat of Arm
Imperial Iranian Navy, also called Iranian Royal Navy, tasked mainly with securing Iran's ports and coastline and establishing security in Indian Ocean. Over time, the Iranian Navy has changed its mission to primarily anti-piracy operations beyond the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman. The bulk of the fleet has been shifted from Khorramshahr to the new headquarters at Bandar-e Abbas since 1977. Bushehr is the other main base; other facilities were located at Khorramshahr, Kharg Island, and Bandar-e Shahpur and newly built Artemis Naval Base at Abadan. Bandar-e Pahlavi is the major training base and home of the Caspian Sea fleet, which consists of one destroyer, 2 frigates, a few patrol boats and a minesweeper. The naval base at Bandar Chah-Bahar on the Gulf of Oman had been under construction since the late 1970s and in was finally finished in 2017 after years of delays. Smaller facilities were located near the Strait of Hormuz. Iran also announced that new bases will be established on Oman Sea and Horn of Africa.
Artemis Naval Base located in Abadan.
Taftan Class Frigate, Iranian made frigate
Imperial Iranian Air Force[]
Imperial Iranian Air Force Coat of Arm
The Imperial Iran Air Force (IIAF) (Persian: نیروی هوایی سلطنتی ایران) is the aviation branch of the Iranian armed forces and the 5th largest Air Force in the World. The present Air Force came into being in the early 1960s when Mohammad Reza Shah bought a massive number of American-built aircraft.
The Air Force has attempt to maintain in service the large number of American-built aircraft which Iran acquired during the 1960-1990. The Air Force has turned to purchases of French, Swedish and British aircraft recently, as well as pressing ex-Iraqi aircraft into service, and indigenously built aircraft, in order to maintain a superior force. Iran is also in negotiation with USA in order to buy F-35 for its 5th Generation air fleet.