Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi – December 1, 1994

We went to Parchin by helicopter to visit military industries and to open some new projects. Mahdi was also with him. On the way, Mr. Saveh explained. In the briefing, we heard general reports from Mr. Kiani, the head of Sased, [= Defense Industries Organization] and Mr. Saweh, [Chemical Industries Director] regarding the concentration of chemical, ammunition and missile industries in Parchin and the transfer of some industries from the Pasdaran region and attention to civilian production in peace conditions and the reduction of demand for troops and attention to exports.

We visited Sased and Ministry of Defense products exhibition; It is very vast and huge. Ammunition in all ranges [= sizes], from two thousand pound bombs to small cartridges, various chemical industries, rockets from RPG to Scuds, war tools from mortars and cannons and personnel carriers and small submarines and speedboats and the like, military telecommunication industries, all types of wireless and encoders and field telephones and land and sea mines, marine industries of all kinds of ships People carriers and logistics and hovercraft are being produced.

The military research center has interesting achievements and the publications of the geographical department, battery manufacturing in all dimensions that provide all the needs of the country and also exports, and especially the manufacturing of large and abundant batteries for the submarines that we recently bought from Russia, we should avoid spending a lot of foreign currency and export to Pakistan as well.

Saha [=Iranian Aviation Industries] and Panha [=Iranian Helicopter Support and Renovation] and Hesa ​​[=Iranian Aircraft Industries] and Etka [=Army Staff Procurement Department] organizations took a lot of time and we got really tired. After prayer, lunch and rest, we visited the new plans for the production of nitroglycerin, missile launchers and explosive fuses, and the production line of strategic 203 cannon bullets, which are also exported to Pakistan.

I gave a speech to the staff and encouraged them. We came back from the newly constructed road. Mr. Faruzandeh [Defense Minister] also sat in my car and on the way, he talked about the budget of the armed forces and the strengthening of the Ministry of Defense against the excesses of the General Staff.

I have a little fever. Mehdi, Fereshte, Faiza, Mona and Hassan came. Efat, who had gone to Qom, returned. Mehdi brought the map of the possible crossing of the Qatar gas pipeline to Pakistan and suggested that we cooperate with them. I doubt the expediency of support. The funeral ceremony of Ayatollah Araki in Qom was held very grandly.