The Syrian Army: An Activist Military Force in the Middle East

摘要

This occasional paper describes the Syrian ground forces and analyses these forces' ability to perform their mission against the most likely adversaries. The discussion covers a brief historical sketch, the social conditions, the military's relationship to the civil order, and a brief assessment of the forces' most recent combat performances. A review of the forces' composition includes manpower, organization, command and staff relationships, equipment, sources of supply, vulnerability, mix of forces, deployment, and tactical doctrines of employment. Scenarios of employment are examined, such as the kinds of war the forces can fight, and against whom and under what circumstances the forces will fight most likely. The paper concludes with an evaluation of strengths and weaknesses, future tendencies, and foreseeable crises or major changes anticipated. (Author)