Analyzing Reports of Recent Iranian Weapons Acquisition from Open Sources

Abstract

Since the end of the Iran-Iraq war in 1988, the massive weapons acquisition program by the Iranian military has been a source of concern for many observers. American and Gulf Cooperation Council leadership in particular seem to see a disturbing vision that requires careful watching. This paper reports and summarizes major Iranian weapon acquisition listed in the open press, then analyzes their potential in regional military and political terms. The author concludes that the greatest potential concern for the U.S. and its Middle Eastern allies is the synergy arising from the acquisition of large numbers of surface to surface missiles, an emerging potential to independently use commercial satellite imagery, and Iran's expanding nuclear program.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 19, 1993
Accession Number
ADA283232

Entities

People

  • Raymond J. Leisner

Organizations

  • Air War College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Ground and Sea Platforms
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Abstracts
  • Acquisition
  • Air Force
  • Fixed Wing Aircraft
  • Geography
  • Governments
  • Iran Iraq War
  • Iraqi-War
  • Military Capabilities
  • Navy
  • Persian Gulf
  • Transportation
  • Transportation Infrastructure
  • United States Government
  • War Colleges
  • Warfare
  • Weapons

Readers

  • Defense Acquisition Program Management
  • Nuclear Non-Proliferation and International Security
  • Strategic Security Studies

Technology Areas

  • Space