>>April 12, 2006: On paper, Iran has some 100,000 or so troops rated as "special operations forces," including elements of the regular armed forces and the Revolutionary Guard Corps. But apparently only the 5,500 strong all-volunteer 23rd Special Forces Division is actually capable of commando-style operations. Most of the rest of the formations designated as "special forces" – including army, navy, and Revolutionary Guard – are actually only well trained light infantry. These are somewhat comparable to American Rangers.<<
I have a question regarding this. Is says that Iran has 100,000 "Special Forces" units that are somewhat comparable to US Army Rangers...WHAT?!?!?
How is this possible...I mean, US Army Rangers are truly bad-a**. Isn't it a stretch to even compare the Iranian "Special Forces" (not the 23rd Special Forces, but the other guys) to US Army Light Infantry?
I mean, the Iranian defense budget is relatively small, and it costs a whole heck of alot of cash to train 100,000 soldiers to a level comparable US Army Light Infantry...much else the Rangers (I doubt that the Iranians have the quality soldiers to produce a regiment like the Rangers, much less have 4-6 divisions worth of them). The fact is that the Middle Eastern culture kind of looks down on hard work/work ethic, and this seriously hinders their military forces (if you want an example, look at the Saudi Arabian military...especially in the Gulf War).
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