# Iranian military question **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 26, 2017, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iranian-military-question/787498 "2017-05-26T17:53:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Potestas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/50afbb/32.png) [@Potestas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Potestas)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iranian-military-question/787498/1 "2017-05-26T17:53:32Z")
So in this video clip below these tourists were headed on a roadtrip that took them past an Iranian nuclear facility, alongside the road you can see large military equipment of some kind. My question is what kind of equipment is this? Exact point in the video is 4:50-4:55 Is this anti-air equipment? ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iranian-military-question/787498/2 "2017-05-26T18:03:24Z")
Googling around, I believe they’re Basir 155mm artillery pieces. They’re anti-tank weapons. [Here’s a picture of one.](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-U8b6lviB7LA/TZphMwkoXUI/AAAAAAAAA1U/G-JeixZfmWY/s1600/aVSkX7J.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Potestas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/50afbb/32.png) [@Potestas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Potestas)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iranian-military-question/787498/3 "2017-05-26T18:13:37Z")
Hmm one would wonder why they’d have anti-tank weapons outside of a nuclear complex ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iranian-military-question/787498/4 "2017-05-26T19:57:42Z")
> [@Potestas](#): > > Hmm one would wonder why they’d have anti-tank weapons outside of a nuclear complex Just speculating but they may be worried about terrorists attacks using weaponized vehicles. ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iranian-military-question/787498/5 "2017-05-26T21:29:51Z")
They are not 155mm guns. They are more likely Saeer 100mm anti-aircraft guns; providing not only air defense, but missile defense as well. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iranian-military-question/787498/6 "2017-05-26T21:42:45Z")
> [@Bear\_Nenno](#): > > They are not 155mm guns. They are more likely Saeer 100mm anti-aircraft guns; providing not only air defense, but missile defense as well. [Pics/description.](http://www.armyrecognition.com/iran_iranian_army_light_heavy_weapons_uk/sa%C2%92eer_saeer_ks-19_automatic_100mm_anti-aircraft_gun_technical_data_sheet_specifications_pictures.html) ---
**Author:** ![up\_the\_junction](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f1d935/32.png) [@up\_the\_junction](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/up_the_junction)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iranian-military-question/787498/7 "2017-05-26T22:37:18Z")
> [@Potestas](#): > > an Iranian nuclear facility I missed that part in the video. Do you mean an enrichment plant, the research reactor, another research site? ---
**Author:** ![Potestas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/50afbb/32.png) [@Potestas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Potestas)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2017, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iranian-military-question/787498/8 "2017-05-27T02:46:30Z")
> [@up\_the\_junction](#): > > I missed that part in the video. Do you mean an enrichment plant, the research reactor, another research site? Judging by their route and my own weak understanding of Iranian geography I believe this is the Bushehr nuclear plant which is both nuclear plant and nuclear weapons development facility. ---
**Author:** ![turner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/22d042/32.png) [@turner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/turner)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2017, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iranian-military-question/787498/9 "2017-05-27T02:50:08Z")
In the video, he says they are “guns…AA” I immediately thought anti-aircraft ---
**Author:** ![Desert\_Nomad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desert_nomad/32/177_2.png) [@Desert\_Nomad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desert_Nomad)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2017, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iranian-military-question/787498/10 "2017-05-27T05:44:33Z")
> [@Potestas](#): > > So in this video clip below these tourists were headed on a roadtrip that took them past an Iranian nuclear facility, alongside the road you can see large military equipment of some kind. > > My question is what kind of equipment is this? > > Exact point in the video is 4:50-4:55 > > Is this anti-air equipment? I’ve been on that road (at least it looks like the one I was on). When I was there it looked like they had surface-to-air missiles, lots of guards and yellow and black nuclear symbols, plus lots of no photography signs. I did not take pictures. ---
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2017, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iranian-military-question/787498/11 "2017-05-27T13:09:50Z")
> [@Desert\_Nomad](#): > > I’ve been on that road (at least it looks like the one I was on). When I was there it looked like they had surface-to-air missiles, lots of guards and yellow and black nuclear symbols, plus lots of no photography signs. I did not take pictures. I did kind of wonder - “Let’s tell the whole world who our guide is, and that he provided commentary while we took video and drove by a heavily guarded nuclear facility.” Presumably the level of repression in Iran is not as high as we think - assuming the guide is not in prison. ---
**Author:** ![Gray\_Ghost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c0e974/32.png) [@Gray\_Ghost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gray_Ghost)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2017, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iranian-military-question/787498/12 "2017-05-27T14:48:53Z")
> [@Potestas](#): > > Judging by their route and my own weak understanding of Iranian geography I believe this is the Bushehr nuclear plant which is both nuclear plant and nuclear weapons development facility. [Bushehr](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bushehr_Nuclear_Power_Plant)’s on the coast. Googling Abyaneh, their destination from the text of the video description, makes me think they’re near the [Natanz Enrichment Complex](http://www.nti.org/learn/facilities/170/) instead. I guess it could be near the [Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fordow_Fuel_Enrichment_Plant) instead, as it’s nearby-ish, near Qom. I first thought they were S-60 AAA guns, but I think \*\*Bear’\*\*s right. Some sort of AAA gun battery emplacement anyway. May as well not even be there for the type of weapons that would likely be used to destroy the plant. (Tomahawk, JASSM, stealth aircraft delivered JDAM.) Beautiful country. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2017, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iranian-military-question/787498/13 "2017-05-27T17:57:11Z")
> [@md2000](#): > > I did kind of wonder - “Let’s tell the whole world who our guide is, and that he provided commentary while we took video and drove by a heavily guarded nuclear facility.” Presumably the level of repression in Iran is not as high as we think - assuming the guide is not in prison. :dubious: Military bases and research centers are typically big installations. No one bothers hiding them. [QUOTE=Gray Ghost] I first thought they were S-60 AAA guns, but I think \*\*Bear’\*\*s right. Some sort of AAA gun battery emplacement anyway. May as well not even be there for the type of weapons that would likely be used to destroy the plant. (Tomahawk, JASSM, stealth aircraft delivered JDAM.) [/QUOTE] Its for low flying aircraft trying to avoid RADAR. For those weapons, they have S300, SA6, and FM90’s. ---
**Author:** ![Tranquilis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tranquilis/32/3639_2.png) [@Tranquilis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tranquilis)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2017, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iranian-military-question/787498/14 "2017-05-30T15:46:04Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Googling around, I believe they’re Basir 155mm artillery pieces. They’re anti-tank weapons. > > [Here’s a picture of one.](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-U8b6lviB7LA/TZphMwkoXUI/AAAAAAAAA1U/G-JeixZfmWY/s1600/aVSkX7J.jpg) The ‘Basir’ refers only to a projectile - it can be fired from many different 155mm gun systems.