ARMS IN THE MIDDLE EAST: THE NEW ARAB MIGHT
SETHCARUS, W.
ARMS IN THE MIDDLE EAST: THE NEW ARAB MIGHT W.SETHCARUS At the present time the three most important Arab armies are those of Egypt, Jordan, and Syria. With large standing armies permanently...
...The Libyans can provide only small forces of limited quality...
...0 30 200+ 200...
...All three of these frontline countries possess significant military forces and are the most effective Arab armies in terms of combat efficiency...
...The ability of Libya to supply equipment to other countries has been recently demonstrated...
...It is not known to what extent these programs will increase quality, but it is likely that in a future conflict the Syrians will handle their equipment more effectively than they did in 1973...
...About 20 Mirage jets were sent to Uganda after the Israeli raid at Entebbe destroyed most of that country's small force of MIGjets...
...While data are in some cases unreliable, it appears that the Libyans have obtained sufficient quantities of tanks, armored personnel carriers, artillery, and possibly surface-to-air missiles, to replace all Egyptian losses from the last war...
...More recently, about a dozen Mirages were sent to Algeria, to strengthen that country's air force against Morocco...
...Realizing that little money was available, and that much of the equipment needed only small improvements to increase capabilities significantly, Egypt has embarked on a slow, deliberate program...
...Major modification, while more expensive, is still cheaper than purchase of new equipment...
...Corps of Engineers, for construction of bases for all of the Saudi military...
...Recognizing that combat performance in 1973 left much to be desired, the Soviet Union is providing technical assistance to improve the training of Syrian soldiers, and the quality of tactics...
...150 ? 0+(14) SSM 500...
...Certain weapons will pose special problems for Israel...
...In either case, forces needed on other fronts would be diverted to prevent a possible attack across the Jordan River...
...Virtually all this new equipment was provided by the Soviet Union...
...In the past, the efficiency of the Israel air force prevented major air attacks against targets inside Israel...
...American combat equipment could provide a source of immediate resiipply for Jordanian combat losses...
...A new development that could completely alter the nature of warfare in the Middle East is the acquisition of enormous quantities of surface-to-surface rockets and missiles by Syria...
...Demonstrably inferior Soviet weapons systems are being replaced or supplemented by Western weapons...
...The air force is negotiating with Britain and France for the modification of Soviet-supplied MIG-21s, to replace the Soviet engine and electronics with Western systems...
...400+ Anti-tank Missiles 10000 ? 3000+ Missile forces: SAM batt...
...Despite loss of 200 to 300 combat aircraft in 1973, the inventory now exceeds 500 combat aircraft...
...The air force has experienced the largest increases...
...Jordan The expansion and modernization of the Jordanian military during the past three years is frequently overlooked, but Jordan has increased its military capabilities...
...Other countries may have larger numbers of missiles, but the improved hawk is the most effective surface-to-air missile in the world, far superior to the much-vaunted Soviet SA-6 missiles...
...More tanks have been acquired, along with a facility to rebuild outdated British and American tanks, as Israel has done with the same types of tanks...
...At least $4 billion is for projects contracted to the U.S...
...Equipment already possessed is improved through minor or major modification...
...Israel needed only one division to defend its border with Jordan in 1973...
...The Egyptians weighed the advantages of procuring Western equipment, and decided that obtaining the more efficient arms would be more productive...
...Examples of these kinds of activity can be found in all Egyptian services...
...Acquisition of mobile batteries of improved Hawk surface-to-air missiles permits Saudi Arabia to provide air defense for other forces...
...Infantry forces have all been mechanized, using u.s...
...While this is a small portion of the total, the quantities are still significant, even by Middle Eastern standards...
...At the same time, purchase of u.s...
...Countries like Kuwait, Morocco, Tunisia, Sudan and Algeria can provide only small forces, often of poor quality...
...The F-5E is not normally considered a "sophisticated" system, but Saudi F-5s, armed with Maverick air-to-surface missiles and fitted with the most modern electronics available, will constitute a significant addition to limited Arab close air support capabilities...
...About a dozen new missile boats have replaced vessels lost in 1973...
...The navy has added large quantities of new materiel...
...An example is the purchase of 80 British and French helicopters, many fitted as anti-tank missile carriers and others as anti-submarine warfare platforms...
...Egypt With one of the largest standing armies in the world, Egypt has for the past twenty years obtained most of its equipment from the Soviet Union...
...tow and dragon anti-tank missiles, M-16 rifles, and other weapons provides Jordanian troops with the most modern equipment available from the United States...
...Much of the equipment acquired will have special capabilities not possessed by other Arab countries...
...However, with an enormous stockpile of weapons exceeding Libyan requirements, the Libyans possess a war reserve stock that could be of great importance in future war...
...With the end of the Kurdish revolt and the establishment of amicable relations with Iran, it is now possible for the Iraqis to divert substantial forces to fight Israel...
...Acquisition of large numbers of armored personnel carriers has permitted the mechanization of the entire army...
...ARMS IN THE MIDDLE EAST: THE NEW ARAB MIGHT W.SETHCARUS At the present time the three most important Arab armies are those of Egypt, Jordan, and Syria...
...In a few select cases equipment is purchased to provide capabilities that did not previously exist...
...In the future it may not be possible for Israel to prevent large-scale attack on cities and towns by unmanned rockets and missiles, because these cannot be intercepted by fighters...
...On the other hand, Iraq can provide large forces...
...With large numbers of MIG-23s, the best Soviet aircraft in the Middle East, the air force has also acquired improved systems...
...Equipment is now far better, either new or rebuilt, and available in great abundance...
...The actual military effect of these missiles is impossible to predict, but whatever their actual destructive impact, they seriously complicate the tasks of planning and preparation for the Israeli military...
...mibai armored personnel carriers...
...In 1973 the Jordanian forces were equipped with mostly obsolete weapons...
...Syria The Syrians have obtained enormous quantities of military equipment during the past two years, completely transforming their armed forces...
...The result of these changes is a large increase in combat capability at moderate cost, indicating that despite limited acquisition of new equipment, the Egyptians are still able to field an effective armed force...
...At least half of Saudi purchases are for service and support, an unusually large amount of technical assistance for training of personnel and for operation and management of the systems acquired...
...Minor changes are usually inexpensive, and can often yield great benefit...
...This equipment provides new capabilities, expands upon old capabilities, and allows for the formation of large war reserve stockpiles for the replacement of combat losses...
...To replace the Soviet Sagger anti-tank missile, the British Swingfire has been purchased in large quantities...
...350 100 ? 0 Artillery 2200 1000...
...Only about $1 to $2 billion has actually been spent for weapons...
...1300 5350+ 1600 0 ? ? 6000 19000+ 10000 0 + (3) 8+ 10 + (6) 50 218+(23) 12 0 0 0 500 1000 170 0 0+(14) 0+(6) 12 42+(20) 18 0 0+(2) 0 0 12+(2) 5 3 4 5 24 122 43 1 11 10 37 30 2 3 4 14 83 10 0 0 0 0 2 3...
...200 0 300 0 900+(500) 3300+(500) 400 0+(165) 0 0 0 0+(165) 0 0 0+(200) 0 0+(200) 0 0 0 + (250) 0 55+(250) 400+(150) 0 0 0 0 200 800 50 0 0 0 330 1200 50 0 0 0 50 0 0 0 65 200 715...
...Israeli units are still only motorized in many cases...
...The Iraqi military is not of very high quality, although some improvements were made during the recent Kurdish War...
...With large standing armies permanently based near Israel, these forces pose a greater threat than the forces of other, more distant countries...
...Supported by the effective F-5E fighter, Vulcan anti-aircraft guns and Redeye hand-held surface-to-air missiles, integrated by a modern computer-operated control center, the new air defense system will be one of the most effective in the Middle East...
...This will not be possible in a future conflict...
...Most tanks were obsolescent, armored personnel carriers and artillery were in short supply, infantry weapons dated from World War II, aircraft dated from the 1950s, and air defense equipment was virtually nonexistent...
...With few exceptions Soviet equipment used by Egypt was inferior to comparable Western materiel...
...0 1000 3200...
...Egypt has also received large quantities of such missiles...
...A frigate has been obtained, probably to provide an anti-submarine capability to supplement the Ka-25 antisubmarine warfare helicopters received somewhat earlier...
...The effectiveness of these forces will increase with deliveries of improved hawk surface-to-air missiles during the next few years...
...In 1973 Iraq sent three divisions to support the Syrians...
...Saudi Arabia has purchased about $10 billion worth of defense goods since the October War...
...there is no reason that this could not be done again...
...Even if Jordan remains neutral, at least two or three divisions will be needed just to cover the Jordanian border...
...While no reliable information is available, the Syrians could have as many as 500 surface-to-surface rockets and missiles...
...200 0 T-55 1100 1000 0 Chieftain 0 0 0 AMX-30S 0 0 0 M-60A1 0 0 55 M-48 0 0 200 Centurion 0 0 280 Vickers 0 0 0 Misc...
...Also marked is the improvement in anti-aircraft protection, resulting from the acquisition of the SA-9 low-level surface-to-air-missile...
...Inventory levels in the Egyptian army have grown little in the past three years, and in some cases are actually below those at the start of the Yom Kippur War...
...while other Arab countries are purchasing large quantities of equipment, the Egyptians have taken another approach, one of selectivity...
...During the past two years the Egyptians have meticulously developed plans to improve the quality of their weapons...
...Should Jordan enter the fighting, even larger forces would be needed, absorbing many of the new units that Israel has so laboriously organized since the October War...
...Egypt Iraq Jordan Combat aircraft: Fighters 318+(64) 130 86 MIG-23 30+(20) 40 0 MIG-21 250 90 0 Mirage F-1 0+(44) 0 0 Mirage III 38 0 0 Lightning 0 0 0 F-5A/E/F 0 0 66 F-104 0 0 20 F-4 Phantom 0 0 0 Kfir 0 0 0 Attack 245 80 0 Su-7/20 1 20 50 0 MIG-17 125 30 0 A-4Skyhawk 0 0 0 Bombers 45 22 0 Tu-16 and II-28 45 10 0 Tu-22 0 12 0 Ground forces: Tanks 2250+ 1300 535 T-62 800...
...Two more frigates are on order...
...The army is negotiating with Italian and British firms for the modification of Soviet-supplied tanks, to replace the gun and engine—as the Israelis have done on many of their own tanks...
...0 Naval forces: Missile boats 18 12 0 subs 12 0 0 Combat brigades: 44 26 16 armored 12 6 6 infantry 30 20 10 airborne 2 0 0 Including Israeli variants Figures in parentheses represent items on order Kuwait Libya Saudi Arabia Syria Total Israel 12+(20) 105+(38) 73 + (60) 352 1106+(182) 325 0 30 0 52 152+(20) 0 0 0? 0 300 640 0 0+(20) 0+(38) 0 0 0+(102 0 0 105 0 0 143 80 12 0 43 0 55 0 0 0 30+(60) 0 96+(60) 0 0 0 0 0 20 0 0 0 0 0 0 210 0 0 0 0 0 35 0+(36) 0 0 140 465+(36) 250 0 0 0 90 260 0 0 0 0 50 205 0 0+(36) 0 0 0 0+(36) 250 0 12 0 10 89 0 0 0 0 10 65 0 0 12 0 0 24 0 100+(165) 1500...
...Acquisition of new equipment represents only part of the improvements being made in the Syrian military...
...Other Arab Countries Of the remaining Arab countries, only three have any military significance: Iraq, Libya and Saudi Arabia...
...The navy is well into a reconstruction program, stripping out Soviet engines, radars, and missiles, replacing them with German and Italian equipment...
...65+(450) 2100+(500) 7850+(1065) 3000+(150) 0 1200...
...Despite this, the effectiveness of the Egyptian military has actually increased during the past two years, a prime example of the inadequacy of numerical comparison...
Vol. 2 • December 1976 • No. 3
