Space

Iran’s Ballistic Missile Test Ranges

&

Satellite Launch Corridor

© C. P. Vick 2008 All Rights Reserved

April 3-12, 2008

Disclaimer

The opinions and evaluations stated here in are only the authors and cannot be construed to reflect those of any Government agency, company, institute or association. It is based on public information, circumstantial evidence, informed speculation, declassified U.S. intelligence community documents, official Iranian and North Korean government documents and histories, oral histories, interviews and reverse engineering analysis. As with all data regarding the Iranian and North Korean strategic space and ballistic missile programs, this analysis is subject to revision--and represents a work in progress

Iran’s Operational Ballistic Missile Ranges

Iran appears to be operating a series of artillery and ballistic missile test ranges that appear to over lap one another over its internal “ Salt Desert”. Their launch sites are arched in a crescent area from well northwest and northeast of the holy city of Qom to south east of Semnan, Emamshahr (Shahrud) and perhaps south of Mashhad in the east of the central northern part of the country on the edge of the internal Dasht-e-kabir “Salt-Desert”, artillery and missile test ranges.

Bases on a “Google Earth” survey search there are in fact only three potentially identifiable primary missile test range launch sites across this launch sites arc in north central Iran. That is two site in groups the first of which are two multiple launch position weapons storage bunker grouped bases north west of Qom and the smaller one well east of the holy city of Qom. The second consist of a group of three separate sites located south east of Semnan but separated from one another but they are the apparent primary ballistic missile and satellite launch tests locations. Those sites located southeast of Semnan were originally artillery ranges and are still utilized for this purpose that is also utilized by the ballistic missile programs.

North West of Qom there are two large revetment, weapons storage bunkers with numerous temporary weapons storage “box” shaped sites with two entrances and possible missile bunker sites east of Saveh northwest of Qom with its second site southeast of Baqerabad all associated with OIIC Kushke Nosrat airstrip extended 12,000 foot runway. They are all primarily munitions weapons storage bunkers sites near Qom but those southeast of Semnan are primarily artillery ranges utilized by the ballistic missile program. These “box” like sites have been repeatedly used for missile test flights launch points across Iran’s missile ranges.

No others were readily identifiable except the sites south west of Tehran Iran outside the Zelzal (earthquake), Shahid Hemmat Industrial group R&D missile & space industry infrastructure near Hamasin. There the Iranians have set up a maze like multiple launch site graded road and end of roads launch network for their ballistic missiles or anti-aircraft artillery in that regions in two areas bordered by Hakimeh, Javadieh and Asalak and a second near by road separated area bordered by Hakimeh, Asalak, Sangaryun triangle again all located near the ballistic missile and launch vehicle Research and Development and space infrastructure near Hamasin and Hakimeh. The lack of identifiable SAM sites to protect this maze site suggests that this is no longer considered a viable strategic option by Iran and it may only served the anti-aircraft systems

There is also believed based on imagery to be ballistic missile launch sites located on the Imam Ali Base, Khoramabad , Iran ’s South west region with its numerous munitions weapons storage bunkers.