CDI Fact Sheet: Iraqi Armed Forces

All the information in the list below is taken from the 2002-2003 Military Balance from the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS). It does not take into account the quality of Iraqi forces or their manning levels.

According to testimony given to the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations by Anthony Cordesman of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, while half of Iraqi divisions are 8,000 strong (and in a "fair state of readiness") out of average authorized strengths of 10,000 men, at least half of the regular army is at 70 percent or less of its authorized strength, with some infantry units badly undermanned and very dependent on conscripts. He also notes that Republican Guards divisions average at least 80 percent of an authorized strength of 8,000-10,000, with brigades averaging the size of a large U.S. battalion of 2,500 men. IISS reports that all Iraqi divisions (except those of the Republican Guard) are at 50 percent combat effectiveness, with half of all army equipment lacking spare parts. IISS also cites the serviceability of the Iraqi fixed wing aircraft at around 55 percent, with serviceability of helicopters 'poor,' and lists senior pilots as having 90-120 flying hours, with junior pilots having as little as 20 hours of flight time.

Total personnel: 389,000
Reserves: 650,000

 
ARMY

Total personnel: 350,000 (including 100,000 recalled reservists)

Comprised of:
7 Corps HQs
3 armored divisions
3 mechanized divisions
11 infantry divisions
6 Republican Guard Force divisions
4 Special Republican Guard brigades
5 Commando brigades
2 Special Forces brigades

 
Equipment:

Main Battle Tanks: 2,600
1,900 T-55/62 and PRC Type-59

700 T-72

Reconnaissance vehicles: 400
Brdm-2, AML-60/90
EE-9 'Cascavel'
EE-3 'Jararaca'

Armored Infantry Fighting Vehicles: 1,200
BMP 1/2

Armored Personnel Carriers: 1,800
BTR 50/60/152
OT 62/64
MTLB
YW-701
M-113A1/A2
EE-11 'Urutu'

Towed Artillery: 1,900
105mm (Including: M-56 pack)
122mm (Including: D-74; D-30; M-1938)
130mm (Including: M-46; Type 59-1)
155mm (Including: G-5; GHN-45; M-114)

Self-propelled Artillery: 200
122mm (2SI)
152mm (2S3)
155mm (Including M-109A1/A2; AUF-1 (GCT))

Multiple Rocket Launchers: 200
107mm
122mm (BM-21)
127mm (ASTROS II)
132mm (BM-13/16)
262mm ('Ababeel-100’)

Mortars (numbers unknown):
81mm
120mm
160mm (M-1943)
240mm

Surface to Surface Missiles:
Launchers reported:
50 Free Rocket Over Ground (FROG)
6 'Scud'

(Possibly possess ‘al-Hussein’ also.)

Anti-Tank Guided Weapons (Numbers Unknown):
AT-3 'Sagger' (Including BRDM-2)
AT-4 'Spigot'
SS-11
'Milan'
High-subsonic Optically Teleguided (HOT) — includes: 100 VC-TH

Recoilless Launchers (Number Unknown):
73mm (SPG-9)
82mm (B-10)
107mm (B-11)

Anti-Tank Guns:
85mm
100mm (towed)

Helicopters: 164
Attack: 62
12 Mi-25
20 SA-319
10 SA-316
20 SA-342

Support: 102

20 SA-330-F

30 B0-105

10 Mi-6

30 Mi-8

12 Mi-17

Surveillance Equipment (Numbers unknown):

RASIT (Armored Reconnaissance Radar - detects vehicles and artillery)
'Cymbeline' (anti-mortar radar)

 
NAVY

Total personnel: 2,000

 
Patrol and coastal combat vessels: 6

Missile Craft:
1 Soviet 'Osa I' Fast Patrol Craft with 4 SS-N-2A 'Styx' surface-to-surface missiles

Inshore Patrol Craft: 5 (All believed inoperable)
1 Soviet 'Bogomol' Fast Patrol Craft (Inshore); 1 other Fast patrol Craft (Inshore); 1 Patrol Craft (Inshore). Also: 80 boats.

Mine Warfare Craft: 3
Mine Countermeasures
1 Soviet 'Yevgenya,'
2 'Nestin' minesweeper (Inshore)

Support and Miscellaneous:

1 'Damen' miscellaneous auxiliary vessel
1 Yacht (with helicopter deck)

AIR FORCE

Total Personnel: 20,000
Total combat aircraft: 316 (no armed helicopters)

 
Aircraft:

Bombers: 6
H-6D
Tu-22

Fighter, Ground Attack: 130
Mig-23BN
'Mirage' F1EQ5
Su-20
40 Su-22 M
2 Su-24 MK
2 Su-25

Fighter: 180
18 F-7
40 MiG-21
50 MiG-23
12 Mig-25
50 'Mirage' F-1EQ
10 MiG-29

Reconnaissance: 5
MiG-25

Tanker (numbers unknown):
Includes: 2 Il-76

Transport: (numbers unknown)
An-2
3 An-12
An-24
6 An-26
Il-76

Training: (numbers unknown)
20 AS-202
50 EMB-312
50 L-39
'Mirage' F-1BQ
25 PC-7
12 PC-9

 
Missiles:

Air-to-Surface include:
Am-39; AS-4; AS-5; AS-11; AS-9; AS-12; AS-30L; C-601

Air-to-Air include:
AA-2/6/7/8/10; R-530; R-550

 
AIR DEFENSE COMMAND

Total Personnel: 17,000

Head Quarters: Baghdad/Al Muthanna

Regional Air Defense Centers:
Kirkuk (north)
Kut al Hayy (east)
Al Basra (south)
Ramadia (west)

Air Defense Guns: 3,000
23mm: ZSU-23-4 SP
37mm: M-1939 and twin
57mm: include ZSU-57-2 (self-propelled)
85mm
100mm
130mm

Surface to Air Missiles: Approx. 850 launchers
Include: SA-2/3/6/7/8/9/13/12/16, ‘Roland,’ and ‘Aspide.’

 
Paramilitary Forces

Total Personnel: 42,000-44,000

Security Troops: 15,000
Border Guards: 9,000
Saddaam's Fedayeen: 18,000-20,000

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