Editor's Foreword

252 ThE MiliTAry BAlANcE 2010
TOWED 14.5mm ZPU-2; ZPU-4; 23mm ZU-23; 35mm;
37mm M-1939; 57mm S-60
MSL • TACTICAL • SSM ε30 CSS-8 (175 msl); 12+ Scud-B/
Scud-C (Up to 18 launchers/launch vehicles (300 msl));
Shahin-1/Shahin-2; Nazeat; Oghab
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps 125,000+
islamic revolutionary Guard corps Ground
Forces 100,000+
Controls Basij paramilitary forces
Lightly manned in peacetime. Primary role: internal
security; secondary role: external defence, in conjunction
with regular armed forces.
Inf Up to 15 div (Some divs are designated as armd
or mech but all are predominantly infantry); some
indep bde
AB 1 indep bde
islamic revolutionary Guard corps Naval
Forces 20,000+ (incl 5,000 Marines)
FORCes by ROle
Navy some (coast-defence) elm (total: some SSM bty
with HY-2 (CSS-C-3) Seersucker, some arty bty)
eQUIpment by type
PATROL AND COASTAL COMBATANTS 50+
PFM 10 Thondor (PRC Houdong) each with C-802
(CSS-N-8) Saccade tactical SSM
PB 40+ Boghammar Marin (SWE) each with AT
(ATGW), RCL, gun (machine guns)
MSL • TACTICAL • SSM HY-2 (CSS-C-3) Seersucker
FACIlItIes
Bases Located at Bandar-e Abbas, Khorramshahr, with
40+ Boghammar Marin PB (SWE) each with AT
(ATGW), RCL, gun (machine guns) bases located
at Larak, Abu Musa, Al Farsiyah, Halul (oil
platform), Sirri
islamic revolutionary Guard corps Marines
5,000+
Marine 1 bde
islamic revolutionary Guard corps Air Force
Controls Iran’s strategic missile force.
FORCes by ROle
Msl ε1 bde Shahab-1/2 with 12–18 launchers; ε1 bn with
up to 12 launchers with Shahab-3 strategic IRBM;
some Ghadr-1; Sajjil (in devt)
eQUIpment by type
LAUNCHER 24: 12–18 for Shahab-1/2; up to 12 launchers
with Shahab-3 IRBM; some for Ghadr-1; Sajjil (in devt)
navy 18,000
FORCes by ROle
Navy 1 HQ located at Bandar-e Abbas
eQUIpment by type
SUBMARINES • TACTICAL • SSK 3 Kilo (RUS Type 877)
each with 6 single 533mm TT
SSC 4 Ghadir (fitted with facility to operate SDV)
(additional vessels in build)
SDV 3+ Al Sabehat (SF insertion and mine laying
capacity)
PRINCIPAL SURFACE COMBATANTS 6
FRIGATES • FFG 4:
4 Alvand (UK Vosper Mk 5) each with 3 twin (6 eff.) each
with CSS-N-4 Sardine tactical SSM, 1 single RL, 1 114mm
gun
CORVETTES • FS 2 Bayandor (US PF-103) each with 2
76mm gun
PATROL AND COASTAL COMBATANTS 146+
PFM 13 Kaman (FRA Combattante II) each with 2–4
CSS-N-4 Sardine tactical SSM
PCC 5: 3 Parvin; 2 Kaivan
PCI 9 China Cat each with 2 twin (4 eff.) FL-10 SSM /
C-701 Kowsar tactical SSM (less than 100 tonnes)
PFI 42: 11 Peykaap II (IPS-16 mod) each with 2 twin (4eff.)
FL-10 SSM / C-701 Kowsar tactical SSM; 15 Peykaap I (IPS
16); 6 (semi-submersible craft); 10 (various); (All vessels
less than 100 tonnes)
PBI 40
PB 37
MINE WARFARE • MINE COUNTERMEASURES 5
MSC 3: 2 Type-292; 1 Shahrokh (in Caspian Sea as trg
ship)
MSI 2 Riazi (US Cape)
AMPHIBIOUS
LS 13
LSM 3 Iran Hormuz 24 (capacity 9 tanks; 140 troops)
(ROK)
LST 7:
3 Hejaz (mine laying capacity)
4 Hengam each with up to 1 hel (capacity 9 tanks; 225
troops)
LSL 3 Fouque
CRAFT 8
UCAC 8: 7 Wellington; 1 Iran
LOGISTICS AND SUPPORT 26
AORH 3: 2 Bandar Abbas; 1 Kharg
AWT 4 Kangan
SPT 19: 6 Delvar; 12 Hendijan; 1 Hamzah
FACIlItIes
Bases Located at Bandar-e Abbas, Bushehr, Kharg Island,
Bandar-e Anzelli, Bandar-e Khomeini, Bandar-e
Mahshahr, Chah Bahar, Jask
Marines 2,600
Marine 2 bde
Naval Aviation 2,600
AIRCRAFT
MP 3 P-3F Orion
EW • ELINT 3 Da-20 Falcon
TPT 13: 5 Do-228; 4 F-27 Friendship; 4 Rockwell Turbo
Commander 680
HELICOPTERS
ASW ε10 SH-3D Sea King
MCM 3 RH-53D Sea Stallion
UTL 17: 5 AB-205A (Bell 205A); 2 AB-206 (Bell 206)
JetRanger; 10 AB-212 (Bell 212)