Iranian Artillery Rockets
Iranian military forces possess a
wide variety of artillery rockets, although the diversity of these holdings is
exceeded only by the paucity of detailed information in the open literature.
Iran produces a range of artillery rocket systems, including the Shahin, Oghab,
Fajr, Naze’at, and Zelzal. Although these rocket systems were developed
primarily for a battlefield support role, Iran used the Oghab in a strategic
role during the February-April 1988 "War of the Cities," to bombard
Iraqi cities and towns.
Six Shihab-3 missiles, bearing the
slogans "Israel must be wiped off the map" and "We will crush
America under our feet," were the stars of the 22 September 2003 military
parade in Tehran marking the anniversary of the start of the 1980-1988
Iran-Iraq war, the beginning of what Iran calls “holy defense” week. Other
missiles displayed at the parade, according to state television on 22
September, were the Nazeat-6, Nazeat-10, Zezal, Maverick, Hawk, Tondar-69, Fateh-110,
Scud B, SAM-6, surface-to-surface naval missiles, Fajr air-to-surface missiles,
and long-range shore-to-sea missiles. On 21 September 2004, the IRGC held a
parade in Teheran in which the force displayed the Shihab-2, Shihab-3, the
Nazeat-6 and Nazeat-10, the Tondar-69 and the Zelzal missiles. On 22 September
2005, Iran conducted a military parade. Missiles displayed included the
Shahab-3, Zelzal 1 and Zelzal 2, M-11 Variant/Tondar-68, Nazeat and M-6. Hawk
missiles were paraded, marked as Nazeat and Zelzal. Some of the missiles had
banners saying, “Israel should be wiped off the map” and “We will trample
America under our feet,” “Death to America,” and “Death to Israel.”
Iranian manufactured rockets
launchers include the Haseb, an Iranian 12 tube 107 mm MRL that is a variant of
a Chinese 107 mm rocket, as well as variants of Chinese and Russian 122 mm
rockets such as the Noor and Hadid 40 tube 122 mm MRL systems and the Arash
version of the 122mm Katyusha MRL. Although details on most of these systems is
spare, it is reported that the Nazeat-10, an extended-range version of the
Nazeat-6 FROG-derivative, is fired from the same launcher as the Oghab, but can
also be fired from L2 and L3 FROG launchers.
The Noor multiple rocket is designed
as part of light weight artillery weapons. It is a fin stabilized High
Explosive rocket. The rocket has a red and silver nose, green warhead with an
Iranian flag on the side, silver rocket motor, and gold fins. The body is
steel. Oghab is a non guidance HE rocket. The rocket is white with red fins and
warhead with two sets of green, white, and red stripes. Body is steel. The
Oghab, a 230 mm artillery rocket with range of 34 km, is launched from a
launcher with three launch tubes.
Shahin I is a HE rocket. The rocket
is forest green with two sets of green, white, and red stripes and a red and
white tipped nose. Body is steel. Shahin II is a fin stabilized, high explosive
rocket. It is part of a heavy artillery unit with a multiple nozzle as a ground
to ground and on the other hand is an air to ground rocket. It is designed as a
non guidance rocket in order to destroy enemy troops concentration
installations and fortifications. The rocket is white with red fins and warhead
with two sets of green, white, and red stripes. Body is steel.
The 240-millimeter Fajr-3 missile
has a range of some 25 miles, and the 333-millimeter Fajr-5 missile has a range
of about 45 miles. Production of the Fajr-3 missile, with an estimated range of
45 km, was estimated to have started in 1991. Iran had for some time been
manufacturing the Naze’at (Iran-130), similar to the Shahin series. Fajr-3 has
the same caliber, range and warhead weight as three
known North Korean systems.
The Fagr-5 missile, which is
launched from a mobile platform, reportedly has a range of between 60-70
kilometers. The missile was constructed by the Iranians, reportedly with help
from North Korea and China. Like the Katyusha rocket and the Scud missile,
however, at the limit of its range it is accurate only within a radius of
around one kilometer. There are unconfirmed though plausible reports that Iran
has tested a chemical warhead for the Fajr-5. In May 2006 it was reported that
the improved Fadjr-5 rocket launcher system had four 333 millimeter calibers
launch tubes. Before launching four hydraulic jacks are lowered to the ground
in provide a stable fire platform. This kind of new chassis also remarkably
enhances in the cross country mobility. The totally enclosed cab can hold the
driver and other two crew members. Also has another totally enclosed crew
compartment behind the cab may embark other crew members. The Fadjr-5 rocket
launcher system has a primary mission of attacking ground targets. With the
installation of a radar system, it also may have the ability to track and
attack seaborne targets.
The "Thirty- Bomb Rocket
Truck" is designed and manufactured for quick and exact firing operations
in any geographical condition and for destroying the enemy’s motorized armored
devices with higher mobility. It should be noted that this weapon is mounted on
Benz LA911. It is of high value because of its quick transposition and crossing
through road and off-road.
Iran is focusing on
constructing medium range ballistic missles with ranges of up to 1000km. This
warrents the need for help from foreign nations, mainly North Korea and China,
but it should be noted that Iran has the ability to produce missles
indigenously. North Korea and China are known to support the Iranian SCUD B and
C programs with technology and maintainance.
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