Iran's Military Forces in Transition

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Iran's Military Forces in Transition Conventional Threats and Weapons of Mass Destruction

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Anthony H. Cordesman

Book Code: C6529

ISBN: 0-275-96529-5

ISBN-13: 978-0-275-96529-7

DOI:

448 pages, figures, tables

Praeger Publishers

Publication: 3/30/1999

List Price: $110.95 (UK Sterling Price: £65.00)

Availability: Print on demand

Media Type: Hardcover

Trim Size: 6 1/8 x 9 1/4

Subjects:

Reviews:

...fills a void in material on Iran...highly recommended.
—Journal of Military Ordnance
...[A]n encyclopedic survey whose great mass of facts make it an indispensible reference source for those wanting to know what weapons Iran has and how its military could fight.
—Middle East Quarterly
Iran's Military Forces in Transition is a useful book that provides a comprehensive review of Iran's military forces, programs, and defense industries....Cordesman's work helps make sense of the myriad trensd that have shaped Iran's forces and strategic thinking since the end of the Iran-Iraq war....[I]s also helpful in understanding future trends, extending the book's shelf life.
—Middle East Journal
...the book is important to anyone interested in the Middle East and the Persian Gulf. No G2 shop operating in the region should be without this encyclopedia of Iran's military capability.
—Military Review
...fills a void in material on Iran...highly recommended.
—Journal of Military Ordinance

Description: Iran today is still struggling with the legacy of its own Islamic revolution, and is deeply divided between the moderates who enjoy broad public support and the conservatives who control the levers of power. The mixed policies that result are reflected in Iran's ambivalent military posture. In recent years, Iran has only conducted a limited build-up of its armed forces and has cut defense spending and arms imports. On the other hand, Iran has developed a carefully focused program that threatens shipping in the lower Gulf and the world's oil exports. It has strengthened its capability for unconventional warfare and continues to be a significant proliferator, setting up indigenous military industries and developing a greater ability to import weapons. In this authoritative analysis of interest to Middle Eastern specialists and military affairs experts alike, Anthony Cordesman concludes that the continuation of Iran's current defensive security posture depends as much on these economic factors as on the outcomes of domestic political rivalries. Iran may eventually limit any military expansion to a necessary defensive strength and set strategic goals for itself that are compatible with the legitimate interests of other nations, or it may choose a more aggressive course. Regardless of the ultimate outcome, argues Cordesman, it does no good to either demonize or excuse Iranian policies. Instead, the United States and other nations with interests in the Middle East and Central Asia need to deal realistically with Iran as a reemerging regional power.

Table of Contents:

Introduction
Iran's Strategic Perspective
The Control and Leadership of Iran's Military Forces
Iranian Conventional Arms Transfers and Military Industry
Iran's Military Manpower
Iranian Land Forces
The Iranian Air Force
Iranian Ground-Based Air Defenses
Iran's Conventional Warfighting Options
Iran and Weapons of Mass Destruction
Iranian Reasons for Pursuing Weapons of Mass Destruction
Plans, Doctrine, and Warfighting Options
Dealing with Uncertainty
Iran's Delivery Systems and Long-Range Missile Programs
Iranian Terrorism, Unconventional Warfare, and Weapons of Mass Destruction
Iranian Delivery Systems and Warfighting Capabilities Using Weapons of Mass Destruction
Iranian Chemical Weapons
Iranian Biological Weapons
Iranian Nuclear Weapons
The Uncertain Implications of Iran's Weapons of Mass Destruction
Iran's Military Future and the Proper Response
Bibliography

LC Card Number: 98-41448

LCC Class: UA853

Dewey Class: 355


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