Bandar-e Abbas
Iran's Bandar-e Abbas is a naval facility on the Persian Gulf along the Straights of Hormuz. Constructed during the late 1970s, Bandar-e Abbas quickly became the headquarters for both the Islamic Republic of Iran Navy and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy. The headquarters of the Imperial Iranian Navy had already been moved from Khorramshahr (where Iran still maintained a naval base) to Bandar-e Abbas in 1977.
By 2008 it had become the home to Iran's Shahid Darvishi shipbuilding concern (a member of the Maritime Industries Group of the state run Defense Industries Organization) and its submarine force. Bandar-e Abbas, likely to be an important target in any conflict Iran might find itself in, has been observed to be heavily defended, with numerous batteries of shore based surface-to-surface missiles emplaced in the surrounding area.
Bandar-e Abbas is also home to a naval heliport and airfield, home to a navy patrol squadron with F-27 and Da-20 aircraft, and an ASW squadron with SH-3D and AB-212AS helicopters. As of 2008 it was also home to the Navy's P-3F fleet. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy also operated from the field, flying Mi-17 helicopters.
