Armenia vs. Iran
Military
| Armenia | Iran | |
|---|---|---|
| Military branches | Armenian Armed Forces: Armenian Army (includes land, air, air defense forces) (2021) | Islamic Republic of Iran Regular Forces (Artesh): Ground Forces, Navy (includes marines), Air Force, Air Defense Forces; Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (Sepah, IRGC): Ground Forces, Navy (includes marines), Aerospace Force (controls strategic missile force), Qods Force (special operations), Cyber Command, Basij Paramilitary Forces (Popular Mobilization Army); Law Enforcement Forces (border and security troops, assigned to the armed forces in wartime) (2021) note: the Iranian Navy operates Iran's larger warships and operates in the Gulf of Oman, the Caspian Sea, and deep waters in the region and beyond; the IRGC Navy has responsibility for the closer-in Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz |
| Military service age and obligation | 18-27 years of age for voluntary or compulsory military service; 2-year conscript service obligation, which can be served as an officer upon deferment for university studies if enrolled in officer-producing program; 17 year olds are eligible to become cadets at military higher education institutes, where they are classified as military personnel (2019) | 18 years of age for compulsory military service; 16 years of age for volunteers; 17 years of age for Law Enforcement Forces; 15 years of age for Basij Forces (Popular Mobilization Army); conscript military service obligation is 18-24 months; women exempt from military service (2019) |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 4.3% of GDP (2019) 4.3% of GDP (2018) 3.8% of GDP (2017) 4.1% of GDP (2016) 4.2% of GDP (2015) | 3.8% of GDP (2019 est.) 6.1% of GDP (2018 est.) 5.3% of GDP (2017 est.) 4.1% of GDP (2016 est.) 4.3% of GDP (2015 est.) (Estimates) |
| Military and security service personnel strengths | the Armenian Armed Forces have approximately 45,000 active troops (42,000 ground; 3,000 air/defense) (2021) | information varies; approximately 550-600,000 total active personnel; approximately 400,000 Islamic Republic of Iran Regular Forces (350,000 Ground Forces; 18,000 Navy; 40,000 Air Force/Air Defense Forces); approximately 150-190,000 Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (100-150,000 Ground Forces; 20,000 Navy; 15,000 Aerospace Force; 5-15,000 Qods Force); est. 90,000 active Basij Paramilitary Forces (2021) |
| Military equipment inventories and acquisitions | the inventory of the Armenian Armed Forces includes mostly Russian and Soviet-era equipment; since 2010, almost all of Armenia's weapons imports have come from Russia (2020) | the Iranian military's inventory includes a mix of domestically-produced and mostly older foreign equipment largely of Chinese, Russian, Soviet, and US origin (US equipment acquired prior to the Islamic Revolution in 1979); weapons imports from Western countries are restricted by international sanctions; since 2010, Iran has received equipment from Belarus, China, and Russia; Iran has a defense industry with the capacity to develop, produce, support, and sustain air, land, missile, and naval weapons programs (2020) |
| Military deployments | 120 Afghanistan (NATO); contributes troops to CSTO's Rapid Reaction Force (2021) | est. 1,000 Syria (2020) note: Iran has recruited, trained, and funded thousands of Syrian and foreign fighters to support the ASAD regime during the Syrian civil war |
Source: CIA Factbook
