Men and Arms in the Middle East: The Human Factor in Military Modernization
Abstract
This study assesses the contributions of improvements in the quality of manpower organization to the military effectiveness of certain Arab states- Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Iraq-plus Iran and Turkey. Military development in the first group directly affects the future of the Arab-Israeli balance, and the last two are interesting both because they may be modernization exemplars for their Arab neighbors and because they figure in other critical Middle East balances. Historically, the Israeli advantage has stemmed from its superiority in manpower and management. It has proven itself more advanced than its adversaries in both micro-competence-the operation and support of modern weapons-and macro-competence-the organization of men and weapons in the pursuit of military objectives. The project reported on here was motivated by several factors: The apparent improvement of Arab forces relative to Israeli forces in 1973 may have signaled a gradual convergence in competence between the two sides. The new weapons being introduced into the region have implications for the importance of micro-competence and macro-competence that differ from the past. Paths to military modernization adopted in non-Arab neighbor states in the Middle East may have influenced Arab military policies.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 1979
- Accession Number
- ADA072955
Entities
People
- Anthony Pascal
- Margaret Krahenbuhl
- Michael Kennedy
- Paul Jabber
- Steven D. Rosen
Organizations
- RAND Corporation