Wednesday, July 15, 2015

Iran’s Military Strength

Authored By Staff Writer | Last Updated: 4/1/2015

Iran has forged ahead with a Russian partnership while also advancing its military-industrial capabilities at home.

The values showcased below are all considered for the final GFP ranking recognized as the "Power Index" (abbrv: "PwrIndx"). PwrIndx scores are judged on a perfect value of "0.0000" which is realistically unattainable due to the number of factors considered per country. Bonuses and penalties are added to each nation (as needed) while landlocked countries (ex: Austria) are not penalized for lack of a standing navy though they do suffer penalties for not maintaining a useful merchant marine force.

A total of 126 countries make up the GFP ranked list. Iran’s PwrIndx: 0.7619, Iran’s Rank is 23. http://www.globalfirepower.com/countries-listing.asp

MANPOWER
Going beyond military equipment totals and perceived fighting strength is the actual manpower that drives a given military. Wars of attrition favor those with more.

Total Population: 80,840,713
Available Manpower: 46,247,556
Fit for Service: 39,566,497
Reaching Military Age Annually: 1,392,483]
Active Frontline Personnel: 545,000
Active Reserve Personnel: 1,800,000

LAND SYSTEMS
Tank value includes Main Battle Tanks, light tanks and tank destroyers, either wheeled or tracked. AFV value includes Armored Personnel Carriers (APCs) and Infantry Fighting Vehicles (IFVs).

Tanks: 1,658
Armored Fighting Vehicles (AFVs): 1,315
Self-Propelled Guns (SPGs): 320
Towed-Artillery: 2,078
Multiple-Launch Rocket Systems (MLRSs): 1,474

 

AIR POWER
Includes both fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft from all branches of service.

Total Aircraft: 471
Fighters/Interceptors: 137
Fixed-Wing Attack Aircraft: 119
Transport Aircraft: 196
Trainer Aircraft: 78
Helicopters: 123
Attack Helicopters: 12

NAVAL POWER
Aircraft Carrier value includes dedicated "helicopter carrier" vessels. Total naval strength includes all known auxiliaries as well.

Total Naval Strength: 397
Aircraft Carriers: 0
Frigates: 6
Destroyers: 0
Corvettes: 3
Submarines: 32
Coastal Defense Craft: 111
Mine Warfare: 7

RESOURCES (PETROLEUM)
Despite the advances made in battlefield technology, oil remains the lifeblood of any fighting force as well as local economy.

Oil Production: 3,518,000 bbl/day
Oil Consumption: 1,900,000 bbl/day]
Proven Oil Reserves: 154,600,000,000 bbl/day

LOGISTICAL
War is as much a battle of logistics - moving man and machine from points all over - as it is direct combat. Labor Force reflects possible wartime industry strength.

Labor Force: 27,720,000
Merchant Marine Strength: 76]
Major Ports and Terminals: 3
Roadway Coverage: 172,927
Railway Coverage: 8,442
Serviceable Airports: 319

FINANCIAL (in USD)
Regardless of military strength in numbers, war is still driven by financing as much as any one leader or weapon.

Defense Budget: $6,300,000,000
External Debt: $15,640,000,000
Reserves of Foreign Exchange and Gold: $68,060,000,000
Purchasing Power Parity: $987,100,000,000

GEOGRAPHY (in km)
Geographical values primarily figure into a defensive-minded war (i.e. invasion).

Square Land Area: 1,648,195 km, 636,371 sq. mi.
Coastline: 2,440 km, 942 mi.
Shared Border: 5,894 km, 2,275 mi.
Waterways: 850 km, 328 mi.

Partial Sources: CIA.gov, CIA World Factbook, wikipedia.com, public domain print and media sources and user contributions. Some values may be estimated when official sources are lacking.


Comments

Iran is the size of Alaska, with a population close to Germany and a $404 billion GDP.  They have low cost of government and low sovereign debt at about $40 billion. Iran looks fiscally well managed, unlike the US. Their average tariff is 22%. Iran’s per capita income is low at around $3000 a year. Inflation is about 30%. There is much for Iranians to dislike about their circumstances, but they are easily manipulated by their “police state” government that supplies them with American and Israeli flags to burn.

They are a net exporter due to oil. They have high unemployment and loads of people of working age. They do keep everybody busy with education, theocratic discipline and anti-Western protests. They are the #1 Muslim Nut-Ball Terror sponsor with oppressive politics, bureaucracy, red tape and corruption. The “clerics” are getting rich. It’s not a good place for free enterprise. Saudi Arabia is larger in size but their population is only about 30 million, the same as Iraq and Afghanistan. It’s easy to see why Iran thinks it can be the dominant power in the Middle East.

Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader

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