Subordinate to: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)

 

Location: Latitude 29° 36’ North; longitude 52° 32’ East; 682km south of Tehran; province of Fars

 

Primary Function: Production of missiles.

Description and Activities:
The missile facility in Shiraz is located 682km south of the Iranian capital, Tehran, in the province of Fars. It comes under the supervision of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and is believed to be a major missile production facility. Shiraz University is also thought to be engaging in missile procurement.

Shiraz is one of the first missile facilities in Iran. During the reign of Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, this facility was the Iranian Electronics Industries (IEI) missile repair facility. It has become one of several alleged missile production sites in Iran.

In February 2000, Iranian sources claimed that the Defense Ministry began six defense projects in Shiraz, including the production of launchers for the Tufan [Typhoon] heavy antitank missile and “testers” to assist in the repair and maintenance of missiles. In August, Iranian Defense Minister Ali Shamkhani inaugurated a project to manufacture laser gyroscopes at the Shiraz Electronic Industries. This project’s goal was to achieve self-sufficiency in the Iranian missile program.

In February 2001, the Defense Ministry’s electronic industries built a new missile launcher, the Qoqnos Phoenix. It can launch eight Iranian-made Tufan missiles. It is possible that the Shiraz facility was involved in the production of the Qoqnos Phoenix launcher system, which is equipped with a laser distance measurer, night sight, links with control towers, a siren system for announcing the location’s status, a sonic system for psychological warfare, and an internal communications system. It has the ability to move by starlight without any artificial lighting.

Key Sources: Ann Tibbitts Schulz, Buying Security: Iran Under the Monarchy (San Francisco: Westview Press, 1989), p.54; “Mikhail Kirillin: Several U.S. Firms Engaged in Developing Missile Equipment Have Links with Iranians,” Yadernyy Kontrol Dossier in Yadernyy Kontrol (Moscow), March-April 1998, No. 2, Vol. 38, pp.37-43; in “Iran’s Missile Industry, U.S. Missile Development Firms with Iranian Links,” FBIS Document FTS19980605000876, 5 June 1998; “Production of Anti-Tank Missile Launchers Begins,” Vision of the Islamic Republic of Iran Network 1 (Tehran), 5 February 2000; in FBIS Document FTS20000205000864, 5 February 2000; “Defense Minister Inaugurates Project to Manufacture Laser Gyroscopes,” Vision of Islamic Republic of Iran Network 1 (Tehran), 27 August 2000; in FBIS Document IAP20000828000074, 28 August 2000; “Iran: New Anti-Armor Missile System Commissioned,” Voice of the Islamic Republic of Iran Radio 1 (Tehran), 5 February 2001; in FBIS Document IAP20010205000049, 5 February 2001.