Posts

Showing posts from January, 2015

Army Aviation Airbases

Image
Iran's Army Ground Forces (NEZAJA) includes a substantial rotary-wing aviation component commonly known as the Havanirooz. The hundreds of Bell helicopters purchased during the 70s and the facilities built to operate and maintain them still form the backbone of the service. Today, they are tasked with supporting the NEZAJA's corp-level headquarters with attack and air-transport capabilities (the latter including airborne assault, and logistics). The Havanirooz falls under the authority of the NEZAJA's central command. (1) However, it is assessed with high confidence that their constituent elements are also operationally subordinate to the NEZAJA's regional headquarters. The force's current commander is BG2 Houshang Yari, who has held this position since September 2011. (2) Prior to his appointment, he was the force's deputy commander. (3) The staff headquarters is located in Tehran, within the NEZAJA HQ. Below this, the Havanirooz's staff-level organizat

Operation Beit al-Moqdas (1982) - An Institutional Perspective from Iran's Army Ground Forces (Working Copy)

This report is a brief look at one of the more important operations in the Iran-Iraq War. The purpose of this report is to illustrate some of the Army Ground Forces history, and the way it has shaped their development over the past three decades. It is loosely intended to precede a more thorough treatment of the current doctrine and structure. Introduction : "A year and a half after the Iran-Iraq War began in September 1980, Tehran launched Operation Beit al-Moqdas, the final operation in its campaign to expel the Iraqi Army from its territory. Today, the operation holds a special place in the national memory and in the official narrative that instrumentalizes the war's symbols. The operation has also shaped the world-view of the contemporary Iranian military. In particular, for the Army Ground Forces (NEZAJA), it has been used to help articulate their doctrine and reconcile their identity as a professional service within a Revolutionary system." Google Docs Link (pdf) Th