Shahab-3 - WikiHQ

The Shahab-3 (; meaning "Meteor-3") is a family of liquid-fueled ballistic missiles developed by Iran, under the IRGC, and based upon the North Korean Nodong-1/A and Nodong-B missiles. Some successors to the Shahab have longer range and are more maneuverable.

Operating under the Sanam Industrial Group (Department 140), which is part of the Defense Industries Organization of Iran, the Shahid Hemmat Industrial Group (SHIG), led the development of the Shahab missile.

In 2019, the US Defense Intelligence Agency described the Shahab 3 as "the mainstay of Iran’s MRBM force". In June 2017, the US Air Force National Air and Space Intelligence Center estimated that fewer than 50 launchers were operationally deployed.

Shahab-3 missiles are considered obsolete and are being progressively changed for their more recent upgrades of Shahab family missiles, such as the Ghadr-110H and Emad missile. The US government says that the Shahab-3 is "generally" less accurate than the Fateh-110. or . According to the New York Times, the Shahab-3A was no longer in production as of 2008.

Shahab-3B

thumb|The range of the Shahab-3

The Shahab-3B differs from the basic production variant. It has improvements to its guidance system and a warhead with a greater range, a few small changes on the missile body, and a new re-entry vehicle whose terminal guidance system and rocket-nozzle steering method are completely different from the Shahab-3A's spin-stabilized re-entry vehicle.

The new re-entry vehicle uses a triconic aeroshell geometry, or "baby bottle" design, which improves the overall lift to drag ratio for the re-entry vehicle. This allows greater range maneuverability, which can result in better precision. The triconic design reduces the overall mass of the warhead from an estimated to .

Galleries

File:shahab_3_engine.jpg|A Shahab 3 engine

File:Islamic Republic of Iran Army Day, 2010 (10).jpg|With a truck-mounted launcher, on a Military Day Parade, 2010

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File:Shahab-3.svg|Artist's conception

File:Shahab_3_MRBM.png|Artist's conception

File:Shahab 3 MRBM.jpg|Artist's conception

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History, development and tests

thumb|280px|The "Great Prophet II" test, 2 November 2006.

During the early 1990s Iran began to shift from the acquirement of ballistic missiles to their production through a well documented technological partnership with North Korea, despite its denial by Iranian foreign ministry official Hassan Taherian, in February 1995. The main reason for this transition was to minimise the effects of sanctions and interdictions posed by the USA, as well as military embargoes and international actions against Iran. According to Seitz and Cordesman, another possible reason was that more capable long-range missiles are necessary for deploying heavy nuclear weapons, and would allow Iran to threaten targets outside the region, intimidate the US and prevent them from taking military action against Iran. Additionally, allegations regarding Chinese assistance in resolving the missile's final technical issues began to emerge. Shahab-3 missiles were displayed openly in military parades, production was said to have begun at a rate of several per month and they were introduced into service.

On 31 May 2005, Shamkhani declared that a new missile motor, using solid fuel technology and capable of carrying a payload of 700 kg over a distance of 1500–2000 km was successfully tested.

In September 2005 two new variants of the Shahab-3, with three metre long triconic ("Baby-bottle") nose-cones, were tested and displayed publicly. Experts are in disagreement with regard to their intended purpose. Some are of the opinion that they are to carry a warhead of the air-burst type, geared toward the dispersal of chemical and biological agents, while others believe it is better suited for a nuclear payload.

2008 Great Prophet III test

thumb|A Shahab-3 on a launcher at Iran's Great Prophet IV military exercise

On 8 July 2008, Iran test fired a non-upgraded version of the Shahab-3, as one of 9 medium- and long-range missiles launched as part of the Great Prophet III exercise.

Other missiles fired include the surface-to-surface Fateh-110 and Zelzal missiles. Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps air and naval units conducted these tests in a desert location. Air Force commander Hossein Salami said that "Iran was ready to retaliate to military threats... we warn the enemies who intend to threaten us with military exercises and empty psychological operations that our hand will always be on the trigger and our missiles will always be ready to launch".

On 9 July 2008, Iran allegedly tested a version of the Shahab-3 in the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has threatened to shut down traffic into if it is attacked. Arms control analyst Jeffrey Lewis analyzed Iranian launch footage and concluded that Iranian claims of testing an upgraded Shahab missile were unfounded. A senior Republican Guard commander said Iran would maintain security in the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf. According to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz and the French news agency Agence France-Presse, which published pictures from the missile test, "Iran had apparently doctored photographs of missile test-firings and exaggerated the capabilities of the weapons", and an additional missile was added afterwards to cover up a failed launch.

Operators

Current operators

Aerospace Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

References

External links

Encyclopedia Astronautica
Iranian Missiles, from Sarbaz.org, website of former Iranian Imperial Army loyalists
Missile Threat CSIS - Shahab 3
Missile Threat CSIS - Shahab 3 Variants (Emad, Ghadr)
Shahab-3 MRBM from Military Periscope (login required)
Russia and the Development of the Iranian Missile Program
Írán - Námořní cvičení—visual comparison of Shahab-3B and Fajr-3
Janes Defence Weekly Volume 43 and Issue 37 Iran's ballistic missile developments - long-range ambitions