The Potential of Iran's Defence Industry

摘要

Economic sanctions that have existed since the outbreak of the Islamic Revolution (1979) mean that Iran has not been able to modernise its Armed Forces by buying military equipment on the international market. That has enforced the creation of an indigenous defence industry from scratch, which is doing what it can to maintain the combat readiness of the Iranian Armed Forces by mastering an art of reverse engineering. The continuation of the Islamic Revolution leads to persistent international ostracism, and this has levied a measurable and consistent price in the form of an embargo. For most weapon systems, the problem is overextended service lives, as they are old and cannot be replaced, and the acquisition of spare parts is virtually impossible. States such as North Korea, Belarus, China, and Russia (the main supplier of arms to Iran) are of no help here. It is not surprising that much of the equipment is cannibalised for parts. There is a visible lack of modern technology.