http://www.missilethreat.com/archives/id.210/detail.asp ----------------------------------- Rubin: Iran "Major Missile Power" in Region ---------
With missiles that can reach every corner of the Middle East and survive preemptive strikes, Iran is already "the major missile power of the region, at least in theory," said a former head of Israel's missile defense program.
"No other country in the world ... comes close to Iran in the number and variety of ballistic missiles in development or already deployed," Uzi Rubin wrote in a study published by the Institute for National Security Studies.
And yet, some of those missiles' effectiveness is questionable, he noted.
Rubin based his study on published materials but his background -- from 1991 to 1999 he was the Arrow anti-ballistic missile program manager -- enables him to better analyze those reports.
He wrote that most of the missiles designed to control the sea, land, and air near Iran show Chinese and Russian pedigree. The Raad, apparently an advanced version of the Chinese Silkworm, is a shore based anti-ship missile whose range should be sufficient to bloc the Persian Gulf at its widest point.
The Zelzal, which originally hails from China, is intended to hit hostile troops concentrated some 125 miles away. Other programs are externally similar to the old Soviet Strela, and anti-tank missiles.
During naval exercises, in April 2006, Iran unveiled a rocket propelled underwater projectile and a flying boat. However, "A cursory examination of the video images revealed them to be 1960s vintage Soviet technologies" that Russian companies are marketing, "Apparently with no great success."
Iran's Shahab family of ballistic missiles shares the heritage, propulsion technology and general layout of the Soviet R11 missiles of the 1950s, also known as the Scuds. Gradually it has been increasing its missiles' ranges and they are, "an indispensable complement to its nuclear ambitions," according to Rubin.
Iran bought Scud B and Scud C missiles with their launchers and production lines, dubbed them Shahab 1 and 2, and manufactured them "in considerable quantities," Rubin noted.
That program was initially designed to counter the Iraqi threat. Eventually Iran amended its threat perception. It sought to dissuade Saudi Arabia from hosting U.S. forces, and -- if the U.S. attacked -- planned to strike at Israel.
Hence the Shahab 3. It is, "a very close relative, if not a full fledged clone of the North Korean mysterious No Dong," wrote Rubin.
In 2004, Iran tested an extended version of the Shahab 3. It is a longer missile, its internal design seems to have been significantly modified, and it "carries the telltale signs of Soviet-style missile engineering."
After that test the Iranians said their missiles have a range of about 1,250 miles.
With them, "Every major city and military installation between the western shores of Turkey and the eastern border of Pakistan and between the Black Sea in the north and the southern narrows of the Red Sea are within range," Rubin noted.
Moreover, it can hit any point in the Middle East from fixed sites deep inside Iran. It can deploy the missiles from well-protected silos "survivable against preemption."
Only 10 Shahab 3 flight tests were conducted between July 1998, when it was first tried, and May 2006.
"This is a remarkably low number for what is surely a strategic weapon for Iran." About half those tests ended in total or partial failure, Rubin said.
By Western standards the Shahab 3 would not yet be considered operational. It would not be mass-produced. However, Iranians seem to think that if the design works once or twice, they are ready to take the chance that it will work in the battlefield too.
"There should be no doubt that in case of conflict, Iran will launch Shahab 3 missiles regardless of their flight test record, and that some of them will reach their destinations," Rubin stressed.
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IRAN MILITARY POWERFUL SUPERSONIC STEALTH UNINTERCEPTABLE BALLISTIC MISSILE LAUNCH WARGAMEby WARSWITHIRAN11,184 views
The guy speaking makes it look like an auction.
I bid for the red rocket please !
KoranicToilet 2 weeks ago
Ya kafirin
MrHeadcam 3 weeks ago
@MrAlan12444 and yet you claim ya'll can take iran in a day. Military trained soldiers as compared to cave trained terrorists.
ZachTechnicolour 1 month ago
@ZachTechnicolour first u.s was there for 9 years, and u.s casualties was pretty low compared to the iraqi old army casualties and one more thing since 2009 the new iraqi army started taking most responsiblities for internal secuirty the u.s soldiers role became a training role for the iraqi soldiers rather than fighting
MrAlan12444 1 month ago
@MrAlan12444 And iraq? old weapons, untrained fighters, yet america was there for 10 years with soldiers dying everyday.
ZachTechnicolour 1 month ago
"Down with the USA" that cracks me up, I counted several examples of AMERICAN built equipment in this parade and other videos. DOWN WITH THE USA but we love your tanks, helicopters etc...go ahead shut the gulf down you morons, we don't get our oil that way and China does. By you shutting the gulf we'll finally say screw off and drill our own at home and sell that to the world market.
roaklin 1 month ago
damn respect russia china iran and southamerica these countries are preparing for somethibg huge south america is srmed up to the teth and now this..down with zionism!
Holocaustthree 1 month ago
@StarRick108 Sigh, you must be the same Nigger, i'm not a hateful or Arab, i'm just make a Nigger that disrespects values of people remind that he is a Nigger, keep your ignorance to yourself pitiful idiot. Also i hope your Nigger and Christian world gets destroyed.
immortaltendency 2 months ago
wow what a hateful muslim u are.. i hope ur arab world burns to the ground.
StarRick108 2 months ago
@90uppin You Niggers are always Niggers, you Niggers have no intelligence, civilization and history plus Niggers have only a mostly ape-like pathetic physics including big ridiculous lips and today Niggers only can realizing the dying from starving and doing imitation of monkey and working in USA. you Niggers giving bad name even to gay and evil nonsense Christianity.
Also please learn English and destroy your Nigger grammar, anyway shit in the your bible is one of the my largest habit.
immortaltendency 2 months ago