Assessing the Impact of Geographical Factors on Passive Defense in the Border Regions of Iran and Afghanistan (with Emphasis on Locating Military Centers)

The proper location of military centers is one of the most important issues in defense planning and it can increase the efficiency and effectiveness of these centers in times of crisis and military threats. This study evaluated the impact of important geographical factors on passive defense in the border regions between Iran and Afghanistan and identified potential areas for deployment of military units. Various topographic, geological, satellite and climatic data were used for this purpose. Climatic data such as the number of frost days, days of rainfall, days with dust, and wind speed were obtained from the Iran Meteorological Organization. In order to identify sensitive and important military areas along the Iran and Afghanistan border, maps and information layers of 21 geographical parameters such as topography, slope and slope direction, distance from settlements, distance from industrial centers, soil type, land use were evaluated through the AHP model using an integrated approach with GIS. The final map of suitable locations for military centers in the border regions of Iran and Afghanistan was accordingly drawn. The results show that moving from east to west of the study area increases the amount of the land suitable for military centers, whereas, based on the geographical parameters, the areas close to Iran and Afghanistan border are completely inappropriate for choosing locations.