Khatami Air Base, 8th Tactical Air Base
Badr Air Base
The Khatami Air Base (N35°12'37.72" E48°39'17.34") is located northeast of the city of Esfahan within the Esfahăn/Shahid Beheshti International Airport. This base is part of the Western Area Command of the Iranian Air Force. The base is used for both military and civilian operations, and is also called Esfahan Shahid International. There is two asphalt runways at the base (4400m x 45m and 4400m x 45m) that service two tactical fighter squadrons (81st and 82nd). These squadrons were reportedly flying F-5E/F Tiger II and Su-24 type aircraft as of 2008. A local base SAR detachment flying AB-212 helicopters as also said to be present.
The Badr AFB (N32°37'15.68" E51°41'48.41") is also located in Esfahan. It is also known as Sepah Air Base. This base is operated by the military and has two asphalt runways (447m x 30m and 3525m x 43m). Some of Iran's fleet of MFI-17 Mushshak trainer aircraft was said to be based at Badr. Badr is also home to Army aviation units flying the CH-47 and AH-1J helicopters.
In a report conducted by John Shields in 1996, he found that the Iran Aircraft Industries maintained major aircraft repair, overhaul, and manufacturing facilities were at the Esfahan base. For instance, the Iran-140 was produced at the base. The IAI was supported by aerospace R&D from the University of Esfahan, which had designed most of Iran's Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) as of 1989.
