the Iranian revolution is an event when the Iranian Monarchy was overthrown and replaced by an Islamic republic in 1979.
WI: No Iranian revolution happened?
- Thread starter Karlmarx900
- Start date
Then by 1985 the Iran military would be 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 2000 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.
Such a large military and its attendant cost would have started a revolution on its own.
Especially after the oil price collapse of the 1980’s.
Especially after the oil price collapse of the 1980’s.
True, but this list what i mange to make is what the Shah had on his shopping list.
obviously huge differences. No hostage crisis, no Iran/Iraq war (followed by Gulf War I and II), no US troops in SA, no 9/11. But I have to wonder just how long the Shah (and presumably his son/successor) can keep the lid on things... he was enormously unpopular...
Where do the 3 Invincible carriers get built?
The three for the RN took 7 years to build between 1973 and 1985:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invincible-class_aircraft_carrier#Ships_in_class
Where do the 2000 Challenger 1 tanks get built?
They didn't enter service until 1983 and only 420 had been built by 1990:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Challenger_1
So where does this extra capacity come from to build all these extra ships and tanks by 1985?
The three for the RN took 7 years to build between 1973 and 1985:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invincible-class_aircraft_carrier#Ships_in_class
Where do the 2000 Challenger 1 tanks get built?
They didn't enter service until 1983 and only 420 had been built by 1990:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Challenger_1
So where does this extra capacity come from to build all these extra ships and tanks by 1985?
Khanzeer
Banned
sounds like the plan Z of kriegsmarine
such a huge military but who can be the possible adversary other than USSR?
note that Shahs projected fighter force is way more than all fighters available to all NATO airforces on the central front
It would be imperative for soviets to either forment a leftist revolution in iran or invade iran before it becomes too powerful
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Khanzeer
Banned
Do they need carriers for the gulf ?
F14 and f15 shore based can cover the whole gulf
I also suspect what he wanted and what he would get are two different things.
Pangur
Donor
He had a fair bit of money to spend so he may well have gotten a fair chunk of it. However its a bit like s dog chasing a car, if the dog was to catch the cat what does the dog do with it?
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Somehow convince the Mossad and/or French and/or the Americans to help murder Khomeini? Even then, the Shah would have probably been removed in a soft coup or a regular old military coup because of how unpopular he was. Maybe you could get a 1967 Greece situation where the monarchy is retained but the real power is either in the hands of the military or the legislature?
Lets remember the Challenger I was the result of an Iranian order taken over by the British when the revolution happened and modified for European conditions. If Iran wanted to replace its then current tanks, in its then 4 armored divisions, 2000 is not actually that far off it you include extra tanks used for training, spares etc.
It was actually 1,350 tanks made up of 125 Shir 1 and 1,225 Shir 2. This is part of a longer post that I am writing.