Showing posts with label Iran military. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Iran military. Show all posts

Sunday, November 11, 2018

Nader Uskowi writes new book on Iran's IRGC-QF and Mideast conflict

Amazon's Best Seller for New Releases 
in Military Science History
 in Middle East & Africa


Nader Uskowi's anticipated new book title, "Temperature Rising: Iran's Revolutionary Guards and Wars in the Middle East" is now published and available for purchase.

The book details how the Quds Force and its allied Shia militias have fought in three theaters to advance Islamic Republic of Iran's regional ambitions and create a contiguous land corridor linking Iran through Iraq to Syria, Lebanon, and the Israeli northern fronts. The Iran-led operations are generating enormous political and security challenges for competing regional powers, contributing further instabilities in an already turbulent Middle East, with specters of direct military conflicts looming, pitting Iran against Gulf Arab states and Israel.


Mr. Uskowi has served as Senior Policy Advisor to United States Central Command (USCENTCOM), the branch of the U.S. military whose area of responsibility includes Iran and the Middle East, focusing on geopolitical and military developments across the region. He has recently testified before U.S. Congress, and published articles, appeared on Radio and TV news programs, and presented papers to seminars and symposiums on Iran.

Reviews for Temperature Rising:


“Temperature Rising is a riveting account of Iran’s way of war in the Middle East by a seasoned observer of the country’s regional strategy and military policy. Uskowi’s book is a powerful must-read for anyone interested in the region.” (General James Jones, former national security advisor to President Obama and former Marine Corps Commandant)


“If you want to understand Iran’s Revolutionary Guard and its action arm, the Qods Forces, Temperature Rising is the book you must read. Nader Uskowi takes you inside the organization, its funding, its relationship to the Supreme Leader, and its broad mission. It is not just about protecting the Iranian regime from possible internal threats; it is about spreading the reach of the Islamic Republic throughout the Middle East. Temperature Rising explains in a compelling fashion the threat, but also points out the new vulnerabilities the Revolutionary Guard is creating for the Iranian regime. This book reminds us that the Islamic Republic poses a threat but also is not ten feet tall.” (Ambassador Dennis Ross, Washington Institute for Near East Policy)


"Nader Uskowi has written an important and timely book that outlines the true scope of the challenge we face from the Islamic Republic. Today, as the United States grapples anew with Iran's malign influence in the Middle East, Temperature Rising should be essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the persistence of the Ayatollah Khomeini’s radical ideology, the extent of the Iranian regime’s regional reach, and the significance of the new web of influence that Tehran is building across the region." (Ilan Berman, senior vice president, American Foreign Policy Council)

[Please note: this is a supplemental post to the Uskowi on Iran site archive.]

Friday, November 27, 2015

Opposition counteroffensive stalls against Iran-backed forces, SW Aleppo

Iran-backed Iraqi Kataib Hezbollah T-72 type main battle tank, SW Aleppo front. Social media imagery emerging 24NOV15

According to Leith Fadel at Al-Masdar News, dated 26NOV15:
The Islamist rebels from the Syrian Al-Qaeda group “Jabhat Al-Nusra, Harakat Ahrar Al-Sham, Harakat Nouriddeen Al-Zinki, Jaysh Al-Islam, and Liwaa Suqour Al-Sham launched a large-scale offensive in southern Aleppo earlier this week, targeting the Syrian Arab Army’s frontline defenses at the multiple hilltops that surround the
Over the past 6 days in southern Aleppo, the Islamist rebels from Jabhat Al-Nusra, Harakat Ahrar Al-Sham, and Harakat Nouriddeen Al-Zinki have repeatedly tried to bypass the Syrian Armed Forces’ frontline defenses at the imperative village of Banes and Kafr Haddad; this powerful assault from the Islamist rebel factions has resulted in the capture of Kafr Haddad’s southern Sector, despite the Islamist rebels declaring this village as “liberated”.
With the ongoing firefights near Banes and Kafr Haddad, the Islamist rebels attempted to take advantage of the Syrian Arab Army’s brief hiatus from the battlefield in order to allow their soldiers to take leave for a few days before going back to battle.
According to a battlefield journalist that is embedded with the Syrian Arab Army’s 4th Mechanized Division in southern Aleppo, the Islamist rebels have been unable to make any significant progress in the last 72 hours after failing to take Banes from the soldiers entrenched in this village.
The Islamist rebel offensive has proved to be rather unsuccessful thus far as several of their combatants have been reportedly killed by the Syrian Armed Forces.
COMMENTARY: Opposition forces committed not inconsiderable forces in launching this counteroffensive. While sections of theIRGC-QF line appeared to buckle, no opposition breakthrough appears to have been achieved.

What's more, with R+5 (Russia, Syria, Iran, Lebanese Hezbullah, Iraqi PMF and Syrian NDF) forces attacking at multiple axes and with the opposition committing much needed military resources to this now stalled counteroffensive, attritional losses at the Aleppo front as well as multiple stress points being applied may now be stretching opposition force resources as never before.

Iran-backed Iraqi Kataib Hezbollah T-72 type main battle tank movement through countryside village, SW Aleppo front. Social media imagery emerging 24NOV15.

Iran-backed Hezbollah force member equipped with Iran-manufactured AM50 anti-materiel sniper rifle, SW Aleppo front. Social media imagery emerging 24NOV15.

Iran-backed Hezbollah force member equipped with SPG-9 Kopye (“Spear”) recoilless gun, SW Aleppo front. Social media imagery emerging 24NOV15.

Wednesday, October 7, 2015

IRGC-N military technology exhibition in Tehran

Iran media imagery of IRGC-N military technology exhibition held 03OCT15 at “Khalij Fars Martyrs” (Chitgar) artificial lake facilities in Tehran's District 22:

Public unveiling of Zulfiqar ("Legendary Sword") semi-submersible fast attack craft, appearing to be a development of Taedong-B / Kajami class previously observed operating with IRGC-N.


IRGC-N Zulfiqar semi-submersible fast attack craft claimed specifications include length of 17 meters, width of 3.3 meters, height of 3.5 meters and weight of 22 tons.

IRGC-N Zulfiqar semi-submersible fast attack craft claimed performance includes

Detail of 324mm torpedo launchers fitted to IRGC-N Zulfiqar semi-submersible fast attack craft

IRGC-N Hoot ("Whale") supercavitating torpedo, Iranian variant of Russian VA-111 Shkval 

Claimed underwater speed of Hoot supercavitating torpedo is 100 meters per second (360 km/h)

Detail of IRGC-N Hoot supercavitating torpedo, showing guidance fins and electronic connector

Side view of IRGC-N Hoot supercavitating torpedo, with adjacent personnel providing sense of scale

Side detail of IRGC-N Hoot supercavitating torpedo (click to enlarge)

IRGC-N Torpedo 324, schematic and prototype, claimed armament for Zulfiqar semi-submersible fast attack craft (see above)

Schematic of IRGC-N YT-534 series torpedo 

Schematic IRGC-N torpedos on display stands

IRGC-N Saeghe ("Thunderbolt") (HY-2G Seersucker) coastal defense anti-ship cruise missile on mobile launcher vehicle

Opposite view, IRGC-N Saeghe ("Thunderbolt") coastal defense anti-ship cruise missile on mobile launcher vehicle

IRGC-N Saeghe ("Thunderbolt") coastal defense anti-ship cruise missile

Rader seeker unit for IRGC-N coastal defense anti-ship cruise missile

IRGC-N Zafar ("Triumph") and Nasr-1 ("Victory-1") anti-ship missiles

Left to right:
- Zafar ("Triumph") anti-ship missile
- Nasr-1 ("Victory-1") anti-ship missile
- Qader ("Able") anti-ship cruise missile
- Saeghe ("Thunderbolt") cruise missile

Front to back:
- Zafar ("Triumph") anti-ship missile
- Nasr-1 ("Victory-1") anti-ship missile
- Qader ("Able") anti-ship cruise missile
- Saeghe ("Thunderbolt") cruise missile

IRGC-N Zafar ("Triumph") anti-ship missile

IRGC-N Qader ("Able") anti-ship cruise missile

Displayed components of IRGC-N Qader ("Able") anti-ship cruise missile

Detail of displayed components of IRGC-N Qader ("Able") anti-ship cruise missile

IRGC-N Aviation Mil Mi-171Sh serial SN-2104 fitted with Qader ("Able") ALCM variant

Detail of IRGC-N Aviation Mil Mi-171Sh fitted with Qader ALCM

Frontal view of IRGC-N Mil Mi-171Sh fitted with two Qader ALCMs

IRGC-N Aviation Bell (Agusta) AB-206B Jet Ranger II (serial SN-2309) equipped with Nasr AShM

IRGC-N Khatam-5 ("Seal-5") coastal defense anti-ship missile mobile launcher vehicle

IRGC-N Ghareh ("End Time") anti-ship cruise missile launcher vehicle, based on Mercedes-Benz 2631  platform

IRGC-N mobile "Radar 2031" vehicle, claimed scanning range of 210 km and ability to track ten targets simultaneously

IRGC-N mobile "Radar 2031" vehicle based on Mercedes-Benz 1417 platform

IRGC unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) mobile command center

What appear to be IRGC-N Sadaf ("Pearl") series contact mines

What appear to be IRGC-N bottom mine types

What appears to be an IRGC-N shallow water mine

IAIO Yasir-2 low-cost, long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)

Foreground: IAIO Sayeh (Shadow) low-cost, long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)

IRGC-N Ghods Ababil-3 reconnaissance and surveillance unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)

IRGC-N Ghods Mohajer-4 (“Migrant-4”) unmanned aerial vehicle, most recent variant

IRGC-N R-4 unmanned aerial vehicle halicopter, with claimed weight of 12 kg, speeds up to 50 km/h, ceiling of 2000 ft and endurance of 40 minutes.

IRGC-N Zulfiqar ("Legendary Sword") inshore patrol boat equipped with AShM launchers

IRGC-N Zulfiqar ("Legendary Sword") inshore patrol boat equipped with AShM launchers

IRGC-N Kashdom IV inshore patrol boat equipped with AShM launchers

IRGC-N Seraj-1 (Bladerunner) military speedboat

IRGC-N inshore patrol boat equipped with DShK heavy machine gun and 107 mm MRL

IRGC-N HESA Bavar-2 ("Belief-2") ground effect vehicle, serial SN-3115

Right: IRGC-N DIO Fajr-5 ("Dawn-5") coastal artillery MLRS launcher vehicle, based on Mercedes-Benz 2631 platform

Dideban ("Watch") thermal night vision system

Vessel claimed involved in IRGC-N capture of British Royal Marines at Arvand Rud ("Shatt al-Arab) in 2007


Photos: Jahan News, Danial Behmanesh at Mashregh News, Sina Noorikhani and Saman Azizi at Military.ir