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What if: the Shah of Iran shopping list (Imperial Iran's Military in 1985)

Under the Shah, Imperial Iran was well on the way to having one of the most powerful militaries in the world. By 1985, it would have had a military almost a quarter the size of the United States in most areas, armed with tens of billions of dollars worth of imported military equipment.

Imperial Iranian Army

The Imperial Iranian Army would have 2,000 Challenger 1 main battle tanks, supported by hundreds of older M60 Patton and Chieftain tanks, as well as hundreds of M551 Sheridan, FV101 Scorpion, and BMP-1 light tanks. Thousands of M113 and BTR-40, BTR-50, and BTR-60 vehicles would be in service as APCs and IFVs.

Imperial Iranian Air force

The Imperial Iranian Air Force would have the following aircraft:

Fighter Aircraft

150 F-14 Tomcat interceptors
90 F-15 Eagle fighters
250 F/A-18 Hornet multirole aircraft
225 F-4 Phantom fighter/bombers (32 F-4Ds, 177 F-4Es, and 16 RF-4Es )
300 F-16 Falcon multirole aircraft
181 F-5E/F Tiger II fighters

Attack Aircraft

70 A-10 Warthog attack aircraft

AWACS and Tanker aircraft

10 E-3 Sentry early warning and control aircraft
12 KC-135 Stratotanker aerial refuelling aircraft

Transport Aircraft

15 Fokker F27 transport and VIP aircraft.
4 Boeing 707s transport and VIP aircraft.
42 Lockheed C-130 Hercules transport aircraft.

Maritime patrol aircraft

12 P-3 Orion maritime patrol aircraft

Helicopters

AH-64 Apache
AH-1 Super Cobra attack helicopters
UH-60 Black Hawk
CH-47 Chinook transport helicopters (140 Elicotteri Meridionali built CH-47Cs)

Imperial Iranian Navy

The Imperial Iranian Navy would also be very well equipped:

light aircraft carriers

3 Invincible-class aircraft carriers.

Cruisers

2 Ticonderoga class-cruisers
9 Belknap class-cruisers

Destroyers

4 Kidd class-destroyers (Kouroush,Daryush,Nader and Anoshirvan).
6 Spruance class-destroyers
6 Type 42 class-destroyers
2 Allen M. Sumner class-destroyers (Babr and Palang).
1 Battle class-destroyers (Artemiz).

Frigates

8 Kortenaer class-frigates
10 Knox class-frigates
4 Alvand class-frigates (Saam,Zaal,Rostam and Faramarz).

Corvettes

8 Bayandor class-corvettes (Bayandor, Naghdi, Milanian and Kahnamoie).
6 Grisha class-corvettes

Submarines

6 Type 209 class-submarines
6 Type 206 class-submarines
3 Tang class-submarines

Amphibious assault ships

2 Tarawa class-amphibious assault ships
2 Iwo Jima class-amphibious assault ships

Fast attack craft

12 La Combattante IIa class-fast attack craft
16 Osa class-fast attack craft

In addition to this, Iran would have an extensive network of Patriot air defense missiles, P-15 Termit and Exocet anti-ship missiles, and Tomahawk cruise missiles.
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