IRANIAN MILITARY ACTIVITY PERSIAN GULF

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: NGA Records (Formerly NIMA)
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78T05162A000200010015-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 9
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2011
• Sequence Number: 15
• Publication Date: October 1, 1971
• Content Type: REPORT

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PHOTOGRAPHIC
INTERPRETATION
REPORT
NATIONAL. PHOTOGRAPHIC
INTERPRETATION CENTER
IRANIAN MILITARY ACTIVITY PERSIAN GULF
ZOP'SEERE~
GROUP 1: EXCLUDED FROM
~,'AU TOMATIC DOWNGRADING
.',AND DEC IASSI FICATION
25X1
OCTOBER 1971
COPY NO r
10 .PAG S~`~
- PIR-044/71
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IRANIAN MILITARY ACTIVITY
PERSIAN GULF
1. Photography shows that Iran is expanding and improving
naval and air force facilities in the Persian Gulf area. Airfields
have been constructed at Bandar Abbas and Jask, and the airfield
at Bushehr has been expanded. A new naval base and a modern
port have been constructed at Bandar Abbas, and the military
and commercial port facilities at Bushehr have been modernized.
Iran has also constructed a hovercraft base on Khark Island to
which some of the ten hovercraft recently purchased from the United
Kingdom have been deployed. Three of the new facilities are on the
Iranian coast of the Persian Gulf, one is on an island near that
coast, and one is on the coast of the Gulf of Oman (Figure 1) .
These facilities are in addition to the older installations at the
northern end of the Persian Gulf. The older installations include
the naval base, shipyard, and port facilities at Khorramshahr, the
port facilities at Bandar-e Shahpur, and the Jazireh Ye Khark
Naval Installation on Khark Island.
Bandar Abbas International Airfield
2. Bandar Abbas International Airfield is 5
nautical miles (nm) east-northeast of Bandar Abbas at 27-13-35N
056-22-38E. The last KEYHOLE coverage of the airfield site
was in February 1966, at which time construction had not yet
started on the airfield.
3. As of March 1969, the airfield consisted of a NNE/SSW
serviceable blacktop runway approximately 3,658 meters (12,000
feet) long, a parallel taxiway, two end-connecting links, two
crossover links, a parking apron, and an administration and
terminal buildin Also, a military facility has been constructed
at the airfielde~
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Bushehr Airfield
4. Bushehr Airfield is 2 nm south-southwest
of Bushehr at 28-57-07N 050-49-28E. The most recent complete
coverage of this airfield was obtained (Figure
2). The last previous KEYHOLE coverage of the airfield was in May
1965, at which time expansion activities had not begun.
WNW/ESE serviceable blacktop runway
with concrete touchdown areas, a concrete parking apron, and a link
taxiway. The runway was being extended an additional 1,770 meters
(5,800 feet) to the east-southeast, which would bring the overall
length, when complete, to approximately 4,132 meters (13,550 feet).
A new concrete parking apron with one double-bay, drive-through
hangar had been constructed at the east-southeast end of the runway
extension. A loop taxiway was also under construction. Support
facilities included one terminal building with a control tower,
a probable maintenance building, and a support area under construc-
tion. A barracks area containing 46 barracks, six quarters, and at
least 40 associated buildings was just south of the runway. Air
order of battle present consisted of one probable
Lockheed Electra and two U-17A aircraft.
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Jask Airfield
6. Jask Airfield is 1.6 nm northeast of Jask on 25X1
the coast of the Gulf of Oman at 25-39-18N 057-47-47E (Figure 3).
The time new construction began at this airfield cannot be determined
from KEYHOLE photography since the August 1971 photography on which
this report is based was the first KEYHOLE coverage of the Jask
area. Available information on the airfield indicates that expansion
of the facilities, including construction of a new runway, began
sometime after July 1966.2
7. As of August 1971, this airfield consisted of a new
NE/SW serviceable blacktop run-
way with two parking aprons, an alert apron, and a link taxiway.
The old graded earth runway is probably still serviceable. A new
support area contained 20 probable barracks, six quarters, two
probable maintenance buildings, two probable vehicle storage build-
ings, 13 storage buildings, and 26 support buildings. Construction
activity was observed at both ends of the runway and in the support
area. No aircraft have been observed.
Bandar Abbas Port Facilities Suru
8. Bandar Abbas Port Facilities Suru 1, _I is 5.5 nm
west-southwest of Bandar Abbas at 27-09-1ON 056-12-40E (Figure 4).
This report on this naval installation is based on April 1971
photography. The only previous KEYHOLE coverage was obtained in
April 1970, at which time the installation was in final stages of
construction.
9. As of April 1971, the port consisted of a commercial basin
and a naval basin connected by a turnaround area and protected by
two peninsular breakwaters. The naval basin contained a quay ap-
proximately 305 meters (1,000 feet) long at which naval craft are
berthed. The commercial basin contained a quay approximately
1,005 meters (3,300 feet) long with six berths, one ore loading
conveyer, and an oil bunkering jetty. Support facilities included
four administration buildings, three buildings with sawtooth roofs,
two storage buildings, five support buildings, an earth-mounded
building, and several sheds. Three large warehouses and extensive
open storage facilities were just west of the entrance to the
commercial basin. A POL storage area at the northeast end of the
commercial basin contained one large vertical storage tank, eight
small vertical storage tanks, three small floating-top tanks, an
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administration building, and 12 su ort buildin s. Naval order of
battle observed at this facility consisted of the
One patrol escort (P F), Naghdi F-26
One motor gunboat (PGM)
One ARL-1-class floating workshop (Y R)
Two tugs
Three freighters
Four trawlers
30 small craft (at least)
One floating crane
Bushehr Port Facilities
10. Bushehr Port Facilities is on the north
edge of Bushehr at 28-59-28N 050-50-15E (Figure 5). Prior to
August 1971, the latest previous KEYHOLE coverage of this instal-
lation was in May 1965. At that time modernization of the port
facilities had not yet begun.
11. this installation consisted of a
quay approximately 274 meters (900 feet) long used by commercial
vessels and an L-shaped pier used by naval ships. A probable
helicopter landing pad was observed at the base of the L-shaped
pier. Support facilities included three administration buildings,
a large warehouse, nine probable storage buildings, and extensive
open storage areas.
12. A new naval installation and a small repair yard have been
constructed approximately 2,500 meters (8,200 feet) southeast of
the main port facilities at Bushehr (Figure 6). The naval instal-
lation consisted of a L-shaped pier with berthing facilities along
three of its sides, three probable maintenance buildings, and three
storage buildings. The repair yard contained a marine railway,
a transverse repairway, an administration building, a maintenance
building served by an overhead crane, five storage buildings, and
extensive open storage areas. Three finger piers served the storage
area.
13. Naval order of battle observed at the Bushehr facilities
was as follows:
One motor gunboat (PGM)
Two freighters
Two tugs
Four barges
30 small craft (at least)
One probable offshore drilling support barge
At New Naval Facilities:
One patrol escort (P F), Babr
Two small freighters
Khark Island Hovercraft Base
14. Khark Island Hovercraft Base is on the
northeast shore of Khark Island, 30.5 nm northwest of Bushehr at
29-15-43N 050-20-08E (Figure 7). KEYHOLE photography of Khark
Island obtained in September 1969 reveals that the hovercraft base
did not exist at that time. No further KEYHOLE coverage was ob-
tained until August 1971.
15. ~ this newly constructed secured base
contained a concrete ramp leading from the sea to a hovercraft
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parking area. A double-bay hangar type building and two single-bay
hangar-type buildings were on the edges of the hovercraft parking
area. Support facilities included three probable administration
buildings, six barracks, one probable maintenance building, four
probable storage buildings, one storage building partially under-
ground, and eight support buildings. Order of battle present on
consisted of one BH.7 hovercraft and one SRN.6
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25X125X1
USATC. Series 1501 Radar, Sheet SNH39-10, 1st ed, Sep 70
scale 1:250,000 (SECRET)
USATC. Series 1501 Radar, Sheet SNH39-15, 1st ed, May 70,
scale 1:250,000 (SECRET)
ACIC. WAC 548, 5th ed, Apr 56, scale 1:1,000,000 (UNCLASSIFIED)
1. DOD. DOD Intelligence Report, Mar 69 (SECRET)
2. DOD. DOD Intelligence Report, 13 Jul 66
(SECRET)
REQUIREMENT
NPIC/IEG/WGD/MEAFAB Project 143322NA
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