Imperial Iranian Army

The Imperial Iranian Army is the army of the Pahlavi Dynasty which ruled Iran from 1925-1979.

When the Pahlavi dynasty came to power the Qajar dynasty was already weak from years of war with Russia. The standing Persian army was almost non-existent. The new king Reza Shah Pahlavi, was quick to develop a new military, the Imperial Iranian Armed Forces. In part, this involved sending hundreds of officers to European and American military academies. It also involved having foreigners re-train the existing army within Iran. In this period a national air force (the Imperial Iranian Air Force) was established and the foundation for a new navy (the Imperial Iranian Navy) was laid.

Following Germany's invasion of the USSR in June 1941, Britain and the Soviet Union became allies. Both saw the newly opened Trans-Iranian Railroad as a strategic route to transport supplies from the Persian Gulf to the Soviet Union and were concerned that Reza Shah Pahlavi was sympathetic to the Axis powers, despite his declaration of neutrality. In August 1941, Britain and the USSR invaded Iran and deposed him in favor of his son Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi. Following the end of the Second World War, both countries withdrew their military forces from Iran.

Following a number of clashes in April 1969, international relations with Iraq fell into a steep decline, mainly due to a dispute over the Shatt al-Arab (called Arvand) waterway in the 1937 Algiers Accord. Iran abrogated the 1937 accord and demanded a renegotiation which ended completely in its favor. Furthermore, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi embarked on an unprecedented modernisation program for the Iranian armed forces. In many cases Iran was being supplied with advanced weaponry even before it was supplied to the armed forces of the countries that developed it. During this period of strength Iran protected its interests militarily in the region: in Oman, the Dhofar Rebellion was crushed. In November 1971, Iranian forces seized control of three uninhabited but strategic islands at the mouth of the Persian Gulf; Abu Musa and the Tunb islands.

In the 1960s as Iran began to prosper from oil revenues, and diplomatic relations were established with many countries, Iran began to expand its military. In the 1960s it purchased Canada's fleet of 90 Canadair Sabre fighters armed with AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles. These aircraft were later sold to Pakistan.

In the early 1970s the Iranian economy saw record years of growth thanks to booming oil prices. By 1976, the Iranian GDP was the largest in the Greater Middle East. The Shah (king) of Iran set about modernising the Iranian military, intent on purchasing billions of dollars worth of the most sophisticated and advanced equipment and weaponry through countries like the United States and the United Kingdom.

The Iranian military never received many of the orders placed in the late 1970s due to the Iranian Revolution occurring in February 1979. The list below seeks to highlight some of the major orders that were placed prior the Iranian revolution but never were completed or delivered.

When the Carter administration turned down Iran's request for nuclear capable missiles, they turned to the Israelis. They were working on the Project Flower ballistic missiles with Israel.

In addition to these developments, the government of Iran had begun alongside American and British corporations to enter the licensed manufacturing of several different types of military equipment. Iran was very active in manufacturing Bell Helicopters, Boeing Helicopters and TOW missiles. As well many bases were under construction to house all of the military equipment. Two very notable and large bases that were to be built were in Abadan, where a massive infantry unit and airforce would serve to protect Iran from any Iraqi aggression, while the other in Chabahar was to house a port capable of housing submarines and aircraft carriers which would serve to allow Iran to patrol the Indian Ocean.

At this time Iran was investing over $10bn in the construction of nuclear stations, 8 locations would be built by the Americans, 2 by the Germans and 2 by the French, for its 23,000 MW nuclear project which could produce enough uranium for 500-600 warheads.

Iran contributed to United Nations peacekeeping operations. It joined the United Nations Operation in the Congo (ONUC) in the 1960s, and ten years later, Iranian troops joined the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) on the Golan Heights.

Army
The Imperial Iranian Army maintained the largest fleet of operational attack hovercraft in the world. These hovercraft's were obtained from various British and American companies and were later retrofitted with weaponry. In having this fleet the Iranian Army would be able to patrol shallow areas or the gulf and avoid minefields.

During this same time-frame in the 1970s the Imperial Iranian Army was making several advancements and placing massive orders to keep up with other divisions of the military. To reinforce the ground troops the Iranians ordered 500 M109 howitzer's, 400 M60 Patton A3 tanks were ordered from the Americans. The largest order was placed from the British for 2000 Chieftain tanks, which had been specifically designed for the Iranian Army. Some other major equipment on order included hundreds of Russian BMP-1 outfitted with anti-tank missiles. In addition the Iranians sought to strengthen their position in the Strait of Hormuz by setting up missile sites in the close vicinity.

Iran also notably received much of their ground armored equipment from the Soviet Union. These deals were usually bartered using cheap oil and natural gas from the Iranian side in exchange for Russian expertise, training and equipment. In regards to military equipment Iran ordered ZSU-23-4 artillery vehicles, BTR 300 BTR-60's along with 270 BTR-50s and 300 BM-21 Grad multiple rocket launchers.

Iran's purchases from the United Kingdom prior to the 1979 revolution included 1 decommissioned and modernized British destroyer (HMS Sluys), 4 British-built frigates (Alvand-class frigate) and a vast array of missiles such as the Rapier and Seacat missile systems. Additionally Iran purchased several dozen hovercraft in the SR.N6 variety, 250 FV101 Scorpion light tanks and 790 Chieftain tanks.

Iran also notably received much of their ground armored equipment from the Soviet Union. These deals were usually bartered using cheap oil and natural gas from the Iranian side in exchange for Russian expertise, training and equipment. In regards to military equipment Iran ordered ZSU-23-4 artillery vehicles, BTR 300 BTR-60's along with 270 BTR-50s and 300 BM-21 Grad multiple rocket launchers.

Imperial Guard
The Immortal Guard of Imperial Iran (Persian: گارد جاویدان شاهنشاهی ایران‎,  romanized:  gārd-e jāvidān-e šāhanšāhi-e irān), also known as Imperial Guard (گارد شاهنشاهی), was both the personal guard force of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the last Shah of Iran, and an elite combat branch of the Imperial Iranian Army. It was created in 1942 and disbanded in 1979 following the Iranian Revolution. It was named after the Immortals, an elite unit of 10,000 Persian soldiers in the army of the Achaemenid Empire.

By the late 1970s the entire Imperial Guard (including conscripts outside the Javidan units) was 18,000 strong, with artillery, armored and helicopter units. The entire Guard comprised some 6% of the army, and were the only troops stationed permanently in the capital Tehran.

Javidan Guard
The core of the Imperial Guard was the all volunteer Javidan Guard (Gârd e Jâvidân, Persian: Immortal Guard), better known as the "Immortals" after the ancient Persian royal guard or Persian Immortals. The "Immortals" were based in the Lavizan Barracks in northern Tehran.[1] By 1978 this elite force comprised a brigade of 4,000-5,000 men, including a battalion of Chieftain tanks. It was responsible for the internal and external security of the royal palaces. A special plain-clothes unit was called Ma'mourin Makhsous.

Prior to the 1967 Imperial Coronation a Pahlavi Cavalry Guard was formed, giving the Javidan Guard a Household Cavalry type mounted escort unit for ceremonial occasions. According to differing accounts this detachment was 30 to 50-strong.

The last Commanding Officer of the Javidan Guard was Lieutenant-Colonel Yusuf-i-nijad.

SAVAK
SAVAK (Persian: ساواک‎, short for سازمان اطلاعات و امنیت کشور Sāzemān-e Ettelā'āt va Amniyat-e Keshvar, literally "National Organization for Security and Intelligence") was the secret police, domestic security and intelligence service in Iran during the reign of the Pahlavi dynasty. It was established by Mohammad Reza Shah with the help of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the Israeli Mossad.[3][4] SAVAK operated from 1957 until the Iranian Revolution of 1979, when the prime minister Shapour Bakhtiar ordered its dissolution during the outbreak of Iranian Revolution. SAVAK has been described as Iran's "most hated and feared institution" prior to the revolution of 1979 because of its practice of torturing and executing opponents of the Pahlavi regime. At its peak, the organization had as many as 60,000 agents serving in its ranks according to one source, and another source by Gholam Reza Afkhami estimates SAVAK staffing at between 4,000 and 6,000.

During the height of its power, SAVAK had virtually unlimited powers. It operated its own detention centers, such as Evin Prison. In addition to domestic security, the service's tasks extended to the surveillance of Iranians abroad, notably in the United States, France, and the United Kingdom, and especially students on government stipends. The agency also closely collaborated with the CIA by sending their agents to an air force base in New York to share and discuss interrogation tactics.[30]

Teymur Bakhtiar was assassinated by SAVAK agents in 1970,[31] and Mansur Rafizadeh, SAVAK's United States director during the 1970s, reported that General Nassiri's phone was tapped.[32] Mansur Rafizadeh later wrote of his life as a SAVAK man and detailed the human rights violations of the Shah in his book Witness: From the Shah to the Secret Arms Deal: An Insider's Account of U.S. Involvement in Iran. Mansur Rafizadeh was suspected to have been a double agent also working for the CIA.[33]

According to Polish author Ryszard Kapuściński, SAVAK was responsible for
 * Censorship of press, books and films.[34]
 * Interrogation and often torture of prisoners
 * Surveillance of political opponents.

Infantry

 * Riflemen

Elite

 * Javidan Guard
 * Imperial Guard

Special

 * Savak Police

Heavy

 * ZSU-23-4 artillery vehicles
 * BTR 300 BTR-60
 * 270 BTR-50s
 * 300 BM-21 Grad multiple rocket launchers
 * ZSU-23-4 artillery vehicles
 * BTR 300 BTR-60s
 * 270 BTR-50s
 * 300 BM-21 Grad multiple rocket launchers

Vehicles

 * 250 FV101 Scorpion light tanks
 * 790 Chieftain tanks
 * 500 M109 howitzers
 * 400 M60 Patton A3 tanks
 * 2000 Chieftain tanks
 * 400 M60 Patton tanks

Navy
A massive order was made by the Iranian government in an attempt to modernize the Iranian Imperial Navy and give it capability to patrol the Caspian Sea, Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean. The Iranian Navy had placed an order for 4 Kidd-class destroyers equipped with Standard missiles, Harpoon missiles, Phalanx CIWSs and Mark 46 torpedoes, 3 used retrofitted Tang-class submarines (these were transferred rather than sold to Iran from the American military) equipped with sub Harpoon missiles. In addition the navy sought to acquire 39 Lockheed P-3 Orion maritime reconnaissance planes for ocean surveillance and anti-submarine warfare. Unlike the air force the Imperial Iranian Navy did not solely rely on American equipment and used a wide variety of suppliers. From Germany, Iran ordered 6 diesel type 209 submarines due to arrive in 1980 designed to protect Iran in the Indian Ocean. From Italy, Iran ordered 6 Lupo-class frigates, capable of anti-submarine warfare and outfitted with Otomat missiles. In 1978 Iran ordered 8 Kortenaer-class frigates from the Dutch, each one equipped with Mk. 46 torpedoes, Harpoon missiles and Sea Sparrow anti-aircraft missiles. In the same year Iran sought to order a further four Bremen-class frigates (similar in design to the Korteaer class). Iran had entered discussions with Great Britain as early as the late 1960s to purchase a nuclear powered aircraft carrier that would give Iran amphibious attack capabilities in the Indian Ocean. While initially interested in purchasing one CVA-01 aircraft carrier, which was later on cancelled by the British, Iran expressed interest in the Invincible-class aircraft carriers. Talks were in place for Iran to purchase 3 modified versions of these carriers however no official record stands to prove that such an order was placed. From France, Iran ordered 12 La Combattante IIa-class fast attack craft equipped with Harpoon missiles. Of this order, approximately 6 were delivered and the subsequent 6 cancelled.

Ships

 * 1 CVA-01 aircraft carrier
 * 8 Kortenaer-class frigates
 * 6 Lupo-class frigates
 * 6 diesel type 209 submarines
 * 4 Kidd-class destroyers
 * 3 used retrofitted Tang-class submarines
 * 12 La Combattante IIa-class fast attack craft
 * USS Zellars
 * USS Stormes

Air Force
In the late 1970s, Iran accelerated its orders from the United States in an attempt to outpace British, French and Chinese military orders. The Shah of Iran believed the Iran was destined to become a world super power, proudly led by one of the strongest militaries in the world. In regards to the Imperial Iranian Air Force from the USA in 1976 Iran placed for 300 F-16 Fighting Falcons, a further 71 Grumman F-14 Tomcats on top of the 79 that had arrived. All of these orders were due in 1980. In September 1976 Iran formally requested the purchase 250 F-18 Hornet, however this order would not have arrived until 1985. In addition to this in late 1977 Iran ordered 7 Boeing E-3 AWACS command and control aircraft and 12 Boeing 707 jets designed to refuel planes in midair.

Iran's purchases from the United States prior to the Iranian Revolution in 1979 included: 79 F-14 Tomcats, 400 M60 Patton tanks, 225 McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II fighter planes, including 16 RF-4E reconnaissance variants; 166 Northrop F-5 Tiger II fighters and 15 Northrop RF-5A reconnaissance planes; 12 Lockheed P-3 Orion maritime patrol aircraft and two decommissioned and modernised American destroyers, (USS Zellars and USS Stormes). As of 1976 Iran had acquired 500 M109 howitzers from the United States, 52 MIM-23 Hawk anti aircraft batteries with over 2000 missiles, over 2500 AGM-65 Maverick air to ground missiles and over 10,000 BGM-71 TOW missiles. Furthermore, Iran ordered hundreds of helicopters from the United States, notably 202 Bell AH-1J Sea Cobras, 100 Boeing CH-47C Chinooks and 287 Bell 214 helicopters.

Aircraft

 * 79 F-14 Tomcats
 * 225 McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II fighter planes
 * 166 Northrop F-5 Tiger II fighters
 * 15 Northrop RF-5A reconnaissance planes
 * 16 RF-4E reconnaissance variants
 * 12 Lockheed P-3 Orion maritime patrol aircraft
 * 500 M109 howitzers
 * 52 MIM-23 Hawk anti aircraft batteries with over 2000 missiles
 * 2500 AGM-65 Maverick air to ground missiles and
 * 202 Bell AH-1J Sea Cobras
 * 100 Boeing CH-47C Chinooks
 * 287 Bell 214 helicopters.