Iran versus Israel, quantity versus quality, a picture that can be easily identified in advance when observing the features and conditions of one or another situation. On the one hand, it is a huge country of 1.6 million square kilometers, with a population of about 90 million, subject to a harsh international sanctions regime for almost two decades and with few allies in the world. On the other hand, it is a small territory of barely 21,000 square kilometers with a population 10 times smaller and mostly of European and American origin, although it has strong allies in the international community. So it’s not surprising when it comes to numbers. Iran’s armed forces surpass those of its main enemy in most areas. Yes definitely. In the unlikely event that both armies met on a battlefield in the Middle East, the Hebrew nation could eliminate and overcome this initial disadvantage through technology and efficiency.
More soldiers but with older and less powerful weapons
Iran has three times more active military personnel than Israel; 570,000 soldiers per 170,000 soldiers. Of course, the Persian army appears to have had older weapons that at first glance did not seem to be able to compete with those of their enemies, especially in the field of armored vehicles. Tehran maintains a fleet of approximately 500 Soviet-made T-72 tanks, among other models, which began entering service in the 1970s, and their capabilities have been tested in numerous conflicts, including the most recent Israeli invasion. Ukraine, where they were easy prey for the Ukrainian army, which was well equipped with Javelin anti-tank rounds at the beginning of the invasion. In case of war they would face the much more modern Israeli Merkava.Propelled grenades or anti-tank projectiles that began to enter service at the turn of the century and also featured an anti-missile system called Trophy, which protected the vehicle in question and destroyed guided anti-tank missiles before impact using a shock wave. In the military budget department, it appears that Tel Aviv has won a crushing victory over Tehran. According to 2022 data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Israel It ranks 15th on the list of countries that allocate the most budget to defense.: $23.4 billion, i.e. 4.5% of GDP. Iran is much further behind, ranked 26th, spending $6.8 billion, or 2.5%, on these tasks.
A strong Iranian navy and a strong presence of paramilitary groups
The quantity/quality equation is repeated when it comes to the naval forces of both countries. Iran has a larger fleet of twenty submarines, three corvettes, seven frigates, a dozen amphibious ships, six patrol boats and a dozen fast attack boats, mostly ships from the 1970s. The number of submarines – 19 – and there are more corvettes, about seven. In the remaining boat types, it is far below its enemy..
Iran is immersed in the process of modernizing its navy, but it still has a long way to go. Paramilitary militias such as the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps also have their own warships.
Israel, on the other hand, is changing the priorities and doctrine of its military fleet, considering that the main threat to the security of the state by sea comes from the coast, and not from the high seas. “Historically, during the Yom Kippur War in 1973, Israel’s naval strategy was built to confront the enemy on the high seas,” military analyst Yaakov Lapin recalled in an article. With the emergence of armed militias such as Hezbollah or, if necessary, Houthi militias, Israeli Navy “increased” its capabilities to confront enemies “ashore”, Lapin continues, and even neutralize them on the ground. During Israel’s attack on Lebanon in 2006, it maintained an effective naval blockade of Lebanese ports.
Israel has the world’s most efficient aviation
There is no color in the airborne combat department. The Israeli Air Force is considered one of the best and most powerful air forces in the world, with nearly 500 aircraft. Its combat force includes 66 F-15s, 175 F-16s and 27 F-35s with stealth technology, all American-made. This last category will receive dozens of new units throughout the current year. Surprisingly, Iran American made aircraftIncluding about sixty F-4 Phantoms, a prototype designed in the 70s, and 25 more modern F-14 Tomcats, but both suffer maintenance problems due to the impossibility of obtaining spare parts. Its fleet of Russian- and Chinese-made aircraft does not even come close to making up for the disadvantage it has with Israel in this department: about twenty Mig-19s, a Soviet prototype from the 1950s, and another Sukhoi Su-24 developed in the early 1950s. 1950s. 70.