Iran Weapons
On 18 October 2020, a 13-year UN arms embargo against Iran expired. Iranian news outlets had eagerly awaited the moment for weeks. The lifting of the embargo had been agreed in the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) � more commonly known as the Iran nuclear deal. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani heralded the step as a "diplomatic victory over the US." After all, US President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from the nuclear deal in May 2018, yet insisted the arms embargo against Iran should remain in place indefinitely. But the vast majority of the UN Security Council members states, with the exception of the US and Dominican Republic, voted against upholding the embargo.
"Thanks to the nuclear deal, signed by my government, we are as of Sunday permitted to buy and sell weapons with whomever we want," President Rouhani declared last week. The arms embargo was imposed in 2007, to thwart Iran's nuclear ambitions. While foreign observes wondered whether Iran might go on a weapons shopping spree, Iranian media outlets have been speculating about potential arms exports.
Iranian security expert Hossein Dalirian, who sympathizes with Iran's Revolutionary Guard, thinks Armenia could be a potential buyer. In a recent article for the Iranian daily newspaper Jam-e Jam, he says that Armenia � currently fighting Azerbaijan over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region � might be interested in acquiring Iranian air defense systems. According to Dalirian, "Iran is the only country in the Islamic world that builds modern missile defense systems, guided rockets and drones." Public Radio of Armenia echoed Hossein Dalirian's thinking on its website. The broadcaster writes: "Armenia and the Republic of Artsakh [the self-declared Nagorno-Karabakh Republic] can now legally buy Iran's Khordad-3 air defense system for protection against Israeli-made and Turkish-made drones used by Azerbaijan."
Iran is said to possess the largest missile arsenal in the Middle East. "Iran has a vast arsenal, ranging from artillery units to short-range missiles and medium-range cruise missiles. In addition, Iran has a large arsenal of drones which it can effectively deploy," Mauro Mantovani of the Military Academy at ETH Zurich told DW. Iran has, for instance, been mass producing short-range missiles, like the Qiam-1, since 2011. It is capable of delivering a 750-kilogram (1,600 pound) payload and strike targets some 700 kilometers (435 miles) away.
The Islamic Republic of Iran has continued to unveil new missile systems even when the international community was still considering extending the arms embargo against the country this August. At the time, Iranian Defense Minister Amir Hatami presented an all new surface-to-surface missile and a cruise missile with a range of more than 1,000 kilometers on Iranian television. "Many countries want to buy our weapons," Hatami asserted in a television interview just after the arms embargo was lifted: "We will definitely export more than we will import; our weapons are affordable and efficient."
There is certainly no consensus on that. "There are not many countries that will want to import Iranian weapons," as German Middle East expert Udo Steinbach told DW. "Venezuela may be interested. Despite US sanctions, the country is still importing Iranian oil and has expressed interested in Iranian missiles." Steinbach says Iran is very proud of its arms industry but doubts the country will become a major exporter. "Aside from a few fringe countries, few nations will be seriously interested in equipping their armed forces with Iranian weapons."
Sadid 365 / Sadeid 365 / Sodid 365
The Islamic Republic said the ground forces of the Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) had successfully test-fired its newest missile Sadid 365. The �Sadid-365� missile was seen being launched from a modified BMP-2 with a control panel inside and hitting a covered tank in the video in question. Sardar Ali Kouhestani, Head of IRGC Ground Forces Research and Self-Sufficiency Jihad Organization, said in an interview with Tasnim news agency that "Sadid 365 is a guided anti-armor missile with a range of 8 kilometers, which is capable of destroying all kinds of armored equipment." Kouhestani added �This optically guided missile is highly accurate in hitting the target, and with the ability to attack from above, it can also pass through the active defense systems and destroy them�.
It should be noted that in the top attack method, after leaving the launcher, the missile soars upwards and dives on the target after reaching the appropriate height. In this method, unlike the conventional method of anti-armor missiles in frontal attack, the missile travels a ballistic path to hit the target. This method is more effective than other conventional methods because usually the top armor of the tank is the weakest part of the armor and it is easier to penetrate it than other parts.
Plans were stated to make a tube launched variant with folding wings. Kohestani said about the Sadeid 365 anti-armor missile: "In the next phase, this missile will be equipped with foldable fins, and with the fire control system designed for it, ground force personnel carriers will be equipped with four of these missiles on both sides of their turret. The design was very reminiscent of the Sadid-345 PGM, albeit that lacked a motor.
Iranian sources claimed the description was similar to the capabilities of the US Javelin anti-tank weapon. The FGM-148 Javelin is a portable infantry anti-tank missile launcher able to neutralize mobile and static targets from up to 2.5 kilometers away. Anti-tank missiles that attack from above are among the newest and most powerful and of course the most advanced anti-tank weapons that have proven their effectiveness in the war between Russia and Ukraine in the last year. In recent days, the Ground Forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps have also successfully unveiled the Sodid 365 anti-armor missile test as the latest Iranian top attack missile.
In late January 2019, an exhibition for domestic military equipment was held in Tehran. The tabletop missiles at Eghtedar 40 were similar in appearance to the missiles for the US-made FGM-148 Javelin and the Israel-made Spike-LR/LR2/NLOS.
Iranian sources claimed the Sodid 365 anti-armor missile is an Iranian version of the American Javelin and Hellfire missiles. The Hellfire missile was originally designed and built to arm Apache helicopters. This air-to-surface missile, of which more than 10 models have been developed and produced to date, uses the combined semi-active laser guidance and millimeter wave radar waves. The main manufacturer of this missile is Lockheed Martin, and this missile has been developed to be installed on a variety of helicopters, drones and a series of fixed-wing aircraft.
Archangel and AC-208 series, are among the carriers of the Hellfire missile. Since the American invasion of Panama in the late 1980s, Hellfire has been active in all the wars of this country. This missile can be launched from land and sea platforms. The range of the Hellfire missile is between 8 and 10 km, depending on the flight height, its speed is about Mach 1.3, and it uses a variety of warheads with anti-armor, thermobaric and high-explosive capabilities. Saudi Arabia, UAE, Iraq, Kuwait, Taiwan, South Korea, England, Turkey, Lebanon, Japan, Jordan, Australia, India and Israel are among the owners of this missile.
The other famous Top Attack missile of the Americans, the Javelin made by Raytheon and Lockheed Martin companies, along with the older and famous TOW missile, form the main anti-armor weapon of the US Army infantry. This missile can engage targets at a distance of 2,750 to 4,750 meters depending on its flight profile. This missile uses an infrared imaging guidance system and the weight of the missile is about 22 kg. The weight of the missile warhead is about 8.4 kg. This missile uses two flight profiles, top attack and direct attack. The Javelin missile has had a history of participating in various battles since the American invasion of Afghanistan until today. Qatar, New Zealand, Ireland, England, France, Estonia, Norway and Saudi Arabia are among the users of this anti-armor missile. The three countries of Japan, South Korea and China in East Asia are among the other owners of Top Attack anti-armor missile technology.
Sadid-1 / Sadid-362 / Fatah-362
The Sadid family is a collection of Iranian Small Miniature Bombs, which are produced in two types of missiles and bombs by the Iran�s Defense Industries Organization. Sadid meaning in Arabic is Upright. It has multiple Islamic meaning. The name is originated from Arabic. All Sadid models can be used on helicopters and drones and are designed to engage with fixed and moving targets. A variant with the name Sadid-362 is mentioned in some sources, which must be the same as Fatah 362, which is the Sadid-1 missile.
The first member of the Sadid family was exhibited at the Kish Air Show in 2010. The first two members of the family, Sadid-1 and Sadid-342, were assembled by the IRGC, and due to the fact that its parts were the same as the Toofan missile, the parts were delivered to the IRGC from Montazer Al-Mahdi Industries belonging to the Ministry of Defense, which produces the Toofan (Iranian TOW) missile. It seems that the production and use of the Sadid family dates back to before their unveiling in the exhibition of the achievements of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in 2013. The proof of this is the display of different types for the first time in this exhibition. Sadid�s operational record in all its types in Syria is brilliant.In the following, we will examine different types of Sadid bombs and missiles.
The first member of the Sadid family is the Sadid-1 missile. This missile was unveiled at the Kish air show in 2010 by installing it on Shahed 258 helicopters.
Sadid-1 missile is very similar to Toofan anti-armor missile. The placement of the wings and the engine gas outlet in Sadid and Toofan missiles, you will see a great similarity between the two missiles. Sadid-1 missile has two rows of variable wings, like Toofan missile, and the size and direction of folding of wings in both missiles are completely similar to each other. In the middle of the rocket, there are two hot gas outlets for the main rocket engine, and at the end of the rocket, there is the outlet of the primary engine that is used to launch the rocket from inside the tube, which is completely similar to each other. However, at the end of Sadid-1 missile, the parts related to wire guidance, including two wire spindles and xenon lamps related to Tau missile, have been removed, which is the reason for the difference in the way the missile is guided.
The specifications of Sadid-1 missile have not been officially announced yet. But by comparing and matching it with the Toofan anti-armor missile, almost accurate information can be obtained.Toofan anti-armor missile in prototypes is capable of penetrating 550 mm of armor at an effective range of 3500 meters. Considering the possibility of firing at an initial speed from the drone and the possibility of gliding if released from a height of 5 km, a range of more than 7 km can probably be considered for this type of missile.
Due to the launch of this missile from the air, which allows this missile to attack from above, its 550 mm penetration is enough to target most types of armor. There are also variants of Toofan missiles with a longer range and penetration power of up to 900 mm.Due to the great similarity of Sadid-1 missile and Toofan anti-armor missile, the weight of these two missiles should be very close to each other. Toofan-1 has a weight of 18.5 kg with a warhead of 3.6 kg, and the weight of the missile and its tube is 42 kg. Due to the fact that the weight of Sadid-1 missile is not announced, this missile can also be considered 18.5 kg. Due to the use of Sadid-1 tube and rocket on UAV and helicopter, the weight of 42 kg should be considered for its set.Also, the best way to determine the dimensions of the Sadid-1 missile is to consider the dimensions of the Toofan missile. The length of the Toofan missile is 116 cm and its diameter is 15 cm.
The Sadid-1 prototypes did not have seeker in its nose, but in May 2014, during the visit of the Leader of the Revolution to the exhibition of the achievements of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, two types of Sadid-1 missiles with optical and infrared guidance were seen. This new possibility can bring fire-and-forget capability to Sadid-1 missile. This missile has been introduced in some media with the names of Sadid 361 and Fatah 362 missiles. The name of Sadid-1 and Sadid 361 missiles were in the catalog published for the Shahed 216 helicopter.
Sadid-342 glide bomb
The Sadid-342 bomb is the second member of the Sadid family, which was showcased in 2014 during the visit of the Iran�s supreme leader to the exhibition of the achievements of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. However, due to the display of the Sadid-345 bomb in the same exhibition, the operational history of the Sadid-342 probably goes back to before the year of its unveiling.In this bomb, the engine is removed and the bomb is attached to under the UAV�s wings using two rings. The main difference between Sadid-342 and Sadid-1 missile is these two things. The wings of the bomb are not different from the Sadid-1 missile, and the wings are folded into the body.
The Sadid-342 bomb has been produced in three types of television, infrared and thermal guidance. Sadid-342 bomb in the exhibition of the achievements of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in 2014. This bomb has an infrared filter, which is often used for infrared seekers.
Due to the removal of the main engine in this bomb, more explosives can be used without much change in the weight of the bomb. It can be considered that the Sadid-342 bomb will probably be the same weight as the Sadid-1 missile. Removing the main engine will reduce the range of this bomb, and its range can be predicted to be about 3 km if released at a height of 5 km.
| Possible specifications | Sadid-342 glide bomb |
| Diameter | 15 cm |
| Length | 116 cm |
| Missile weight | 18.5 kg |
| Warhead weight | 7 kg, probably twice as much as Sadid-1 missile (there is a possibility of reducing the weight of the warhead and increasing the range) |
| Warhead type | Shaped charge |
| Packed missile weight | 42 kg |
| Range | 3 km if released from a height of 3-5 km |
Sadid-345 glide bomb
Iran�s experiences in using Sadid missiles and bombs in the Syrian war led to the production of a new type of Sadid bombs. Sodid-345 was also showcased in the exhibition of achievements of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in 2014.In Sadid-345 bomb, the front wings have become fixed wings and it is designed in a way that brings the maximum amount of lift to drag ratio. But the rear wings are still folded.It should be noted that the only member of the Sadid family which its specifications have been officially announced is the Sadid-345 glide bomb.
According to the specifications of Sadid-345, this bomb is suitable for attacking gatherings or radar equipment and enemy artillery personnel. This bomb has three types of guidance, one of which is television guidance, the accuracy of which is the lowest and its error is 5 meters. Clear air is needed to receive television quality images and this is a very big limitation for this bomb.
But there is also a type of laser guidance, which the error rate is declared to be 2.5 meters. Laser guidance also loses its effectiveness in dusty and foggy weather conditions.
The third type of conventional guidance on this bomb is guidance with an IR seeker, which has brought an accuracy of 2.5 meters, which is a very good number. In addition, the thermal seeker can be used in all weather conditions.
The warhead weight and the range of Sadid-345 bomb have not been announced. Considering the 470 mm increase in the length of the Sadid-345 and the increase in the weight of the bomb by nearly 15 kg, about 20 kg of explosives can be considered for this bomb. It should be noted that in the above calculation, the increase in the weight of the wings is considered equal to the removal of the engine and its fuel consumption. Of course, a variant with the name Sadid-362 is mentioned in some sources, which must be the same as Fatah 362, which is the Sadid-1 missile.
| Specifications | Sadid-345 glide bomb |
| Mission | Destroy various moving and stationary targets |
| Weight | 34 kg |
| Length | 1630 mm |
| Diameter | 152 mm |
| Warhead type | Shaped charge |
| Warhead | H6 explosive � fragmentation |
| Type of fuse | Impact |
| Lethal radius | 30 meters |
| Type of aircraft | UAV |
| Hit accuracy |
|
Maghsood / Maksoud
"Iran has accomplished construction of the mid-range air-to-air Fakour 90 missile and is now building Maqsoud (Objective) missile system as its newest long-range air-to-air missile system," Deputy Head of the General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces General Mohammad Hejazi said, addressing a forum in Tehran 01 October 2013.
Sardar Seyed Mehdi Farhi, the head of the Ministry of Defense's Aerospace Industries Organization, said at the conference on the need to develop air-based weapons in future battles, which was held this morning at Imam Hossein University (AS), that five basic strategies have been defined in the Aerospace Industries Organization in the five areas of anti-armor, cruise, ballistic, air defense, space and satellite launchers. Farhi announced: "The next phase of the Aerospace Industries Organization is the 300 km air-launched missile that we will see in the future."
The Deputy General Staff of the Armed Forces said 01 October 2013 that the construction of the Maqsood missile system is on the agenda as the newest long-range air-to-air missile system. Sardar Seyyed Mohammad Hijazi, Vice President of Ready, Support and Industrial Research of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, at the conference on the necessity of developing air-based weapons in future battles at Imam Hossein (AS) University, added: Air-based weapons are an important issue and have a very high position.
He said: In our operational assumptions, the enemy has air superiority, but we have to fix this issue and this big gap, which has started with the scientific movement and the movement of experts in the country, and we hope that these gaps will be filled in the future.
Amad's deputy, support and industrial research of the General Staff of the Armed Forces stated: In the past two years, a new strategy was expressed by the Supreme Leader, and that is that we respond to threats with threats. This was a new strategy, a new word and an approach that is not only in terms of words and words, and this should also happen in action.
Hijazi emphasized: It means that if the enemy opens up a possibility, we will show an action to counter it, or if they show a new achievement, we will present an innovative move and a creative achievement to neutralize it.
Referring to Iran's air-to-air missiles, Amad's deputy, support and industrial research of the General Staff of the Armed Forces said: "The Qadir and Nasr air-to-air missiles project is one of the weapons that came to fruition with the efforts of the Ministry of Defense and the Army, and it has very good capabilities."
He emphasized: In the field of air-to-air weapons, the Fakhor missile, which is a medium-range missile, was completed, and the long-range Maqsood missile is under construction.
The head of the Aerospace Industries Organization of the Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Support also said that the design of light missiles with a long range of up to 300 kilometers is included in the policies of this organization.
Sardar Seyed Mehdi Farhi stated: "In the field of missiles, we are looking for increasing effectiveness, radar evasion, making missiles tactical, installing missiles on drones, making missiles last longer and making them smarter." He further added: "This organization has defined five basic strategies in the field of cruise missiles, ballistic missiles, anti-armor missiles, air defense and satellite, and air defense is the most important field and a very complex field."
In another part of his speech, the head of the Aerospace Industries Organization of the Ministry of Defense stated that "this organization has both a plan, a policy and a strategy in the field of aerospace", and noted that the Aerospace Organization is actually an organization that produces deterrence; We need to quickly produce long-range missiles with deterrent power in this field.
The head of the Aerospace Research Organization of the Ministry of Defense further said: "Regarding the S300, Sepehr and Maqsood systems, joint design offices were established and today we have reached an inter-institutional maturity and we have benefited from the cooperation of the Air Force, Ministry of Defense, IRGC Aerospace and universities in air-based missiles."
He mentioned the achievement of this organization in the last six months in the production of Qadir airborne, Nasr airborne and Fakour 90 missiles and added: These projects have a common platform and by late 2013 were claimed to be "on the verge of mass production".
https://irangeomil.blogspot.com/2018/07/analysis-fakour-air-to-air-missile.html">Analysis: Fakour Air-to-Air Missile posted by Amir on July 23, 2018 2 Comments
Fakhor / Fakkur / Fakoor / Fakour / Fekor / Fekur
Fakour-90 missile is one of the latest state-of-the-art productions of the Iranian Armed Forces which is mounted on F-14 fighter jets. The Fakour air-to-air missile, installed on fighter planes, has the ability to engage with all types of aerial threats, and as the country's first air-to-air missile, designed and built by the airspace experts of the Ministry of Defense, and delivered to the Air Force, it will significantly increase the operational capacity of this force against aerial threats.
The Fakour-90 air-to-air missile is a copy of the Hughes AIM-54 Phoenix missile that was sold together with the F-14 to Iran in the late 1970s. The missile was developed by the Iranian Army, Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics, and IRIAF. In October 2011, it was announced that the missile had reached the stage of mass production.
Fakour traces its lineage to the Sedjil program of the late 1980s. Near the end of the Iran-Iraq war, Iran was running low on AIM-54 Phoenix missiles and the parts required to keep the missiles working. Not wanting to give up the F-14's advantage in BVR, Iran started the Sedjil project in 1986, which was an effort to repurpose original MIM-23 Hawk missiles to be used as Air-to-Air missiles. They were much less capable than the AIM-54, but still had greater reach than any other missile in the war (save for the AIM-54 itself).
The diameters of the AIM-54 and MIM-23 are very similar - 380 mm and 370 mm respectively. It seems that Iran decided to advance the Sedjil into some sort of AIM-54 lite, even giving it control surfaces that are very similar (though slightly different) to the AIM-54's. Possibly, the IRIAF's limited budget did not allow it to copy the AIM-54, so it opted for a Hawk based design, which Iran already manufactured. , the fact that the Fakour has a nose cone which shares the same shape as the AIM-54 and which is more conducive to an active emitter lends credence to the missiles having at least some active guidance component.
The U.S. Navy retired the Tomcat on Sep. 22, 2006 and today the F-14 remains in in service with IRIAF. In Jan. 2007, U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) announced that sales of spare F-14 parts would be suspended over concerns of the parts ending up in Iran and in Jul. 2007 the remaining U.S. F-14s were shredded to ensure that any parts could not be acquired.
However in October 2010 IRIAF commander stated that his country was overhauling its F-14s and mentioned that Iran-made radar system had been installed on the fighter. Moreover in the summer of 2010, Iran requested that the U.S. deliver the 80th F-14 it had purchased in 1974, but delivery was denied after the Islamic Revolution.
The purchase of 80 F-14 fighter planes goes back to the Shah's regime and before the Islamic Revolution. At that time, Iran was able to receive and operate 79 of the 80 Tomcats ordered from America. After the Islamic Revolution, one remaining plane was considered among the confiscated properties of Iran in the United States and was never delivered to Iran.
Since these fighters have a high power in interception, identification and air combat, they are considered among the most powerful fighters of those days and of course now in the world. One of the most important missions of the Iranian F-14s was during the imposed war, where these fighters were able to play a significant role in the almost complete collapse of the Iraqi Air Force, so that according to published information, during the Iraqi invasion of Iran, only the Iranian F-14s were able to shoot down more than 150 MiG, Sukhoi and Sukhoi fighters. . . to destroy belonging to the Iraqi army, which is a unique statistic of the level of readiness of these fighters.
Phoenix missile (AIM-54 Phoenix) is the main missile that was made for F-14 due to its structure and sensitive systems, especially the modern radars of this fighter. At the time of ordering the purchase of fighter jets from America, Iran also ordered a certain amount of Phoenix missiles and delivered part of its order before the revolution, but America refused to deliver the rest of Iran's order after the Islamic revolution, but the same small number purchased was effective during the imposed war.
Phoenix is an air-to-air missile equipped with a long-range radar that was made by the United States in 1966 and is specially designed for installation on Tomcat fighters. This missile has a range of 160 km and a speed of Mach 5, and in this respect, it is considered a long-range missile.
Although the number of missiles delivered from the Phoenix program was reported to be small, so these missiles ran out after successfully completing their mission in the air battle with mostly Russian-born fighters of the Iraqi army, and Iran thought of a suitable replacement for these missiles so that the F-14s would continue to be armed and able to carry out missions with strength in the battlefield and defend Iran's airspace and even carry out cross-border missions during the imposed war.
During the same war, Iranian experts were able to change the use of surface-to-air defense missiles to air-to-air missiles and arm some F-14s with these missiles, but according to published information, this project was not very successful at that time, but at the same time, it did not leave the hands of Iranian Tomcats empty.
"Hawk" is a famous American missile that is deployed on systems of the same name. These missiles, of which many models are produced in Iran today, are mostly missiles that are installed on defense systems and with high power and medium range, they have a great ability to target and destroy hostile bird targets, including fighters, drones and helicopters.
Today, by changing the systems of this missile, Iran has been able to produce indigenous samples of this missile as well. Shahin and Shalamcheh are two indigenous missiles that have high power. These missiles have the ability to be deployed and fired on the Morsad missile and defense system.
More than two decades have passed since the Iranian F-14 fighter jets were armed with Hawk or Sejeel missiles, these missiles are being upgraded and the experts of Iran are making changes and improving the range, radar range and adapting the missile to the fighter in the form of "Sejeel Project". Of course, according to the information and images published by the information base of the Iranian army, the Sajil air-to-air missile is now operational and is installed on F-14 fighters.
No information about the current range, radar range, operating power and other components of the Sejeel missile has been published, but considering the 40 km range of the Shalamcheh missile as the last indigenous and Iranian example of the Hawk missile, it seems that the "minimum range of the Sejail missile" is also close to 40 km, although the Sejail missile, which is a member of the family of three Iranian Hawk missiles, is currently being upgraded in the form of the Sejail project.
It goes without saying that due to the fact that the Phoenix missile was built as the main missile of the F-14 fighters by the United States, years ago, the specialists of Iran thought of producing a missile as a local model of the Phoenix missile, so that by arming the F-14 fighters with this missile, everyone's mind will be relieved of the proper feeding of these fighters with their own special missiles.
Now, after a few years of research, a missile named Fekur 90 has been produced and unveiled unofficially. Of course, there is no news about operational testing and arming of F-14s with this missile yet, but this missile has been displayed repeatedly in various ceremonies. Paying attention to the appearance of Fekur shows that this missile is very similar to its American model, the Phoenix missile.
Iran's missile industry has grown significantly in the past years, and with the production of Sejeel air-to-air missiles, Iran has upgraded the range of missiles that can be installed on F-14 fighters from 4 missiles (AIM-120, AIM-9, AIM-7, AIM-54) to 5 missiles, a range that will be more complete in the future by arming Iranian Tomcats with domestic Fakkur 90 missiles, and of course, it will have a new, Iranian and updated member.
Although the Fekor missile has more weight than the Phoenix, its mass production inside and having high capabilities by using the new guidance and electronic warfare system is a suitable temporary solution until the development of the domestic version of the Phoenix missile with the name Maqsood. During the exhibition of the 40th anniversary of the Holy Defense Week in Tehran, all kinds of weapons and equipment achievements of Iran's armed forces were displayed, including Sayad-2 and 3 air defense missiles, two generations of Shalamcheh missiles, and Fakkur 90 medium-range air-to-air missiles. The signs and information recorded on the body of the Fekur missile show that this product probably has some differences compared to the sample unveiled during the opening of the production line in 2017.
Fakkur 90 missile at Eghter 40 exhibition on the occasion of the 40th year of the Holy Defense The Fakhor missile was developed by the Aerospace Industries Organization of the Ministry of Defense to equip the F-14 Tomcat fighters of the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force. The main and specialized weapon of F-14 is the long-range and efficient Phoenix missile, which was lacking in terms of inventory and operational numbers during the imposed war. The specialists of the self-sufficient Jihad organization under the supervision of Amir Ataullah Bazargan and a group of pilots tried to match the MIM-23 Hawk surface-to-air missile with the F-14 interceptor under a project called Sajil in order to compensate for the lack of Phoenix missiles as much as possible. According to official reports, the F-14 Tomcat fighter with Hawk or Sejeel missiles also managed to hunt enemy birds.
Shalamcheh-1
The Shalamcheh missile is an Iranian model of the American Hawk missile. Radar seeker antenna of Shahin and Shalamcheh missiles is the same. According to the marks registered on the body of Shalamcheh rockets, the solid fuel engine of this rocket is produced in the Shahid Babaei Industrial Complex (SBIC), a subsidiary of the Aerospace Industries Organization of the Ministry of Defense. The Iranian Shalamcheh missile has reached mass production after numerous firing tests in shooting ranges and several exercises with new and advanced guidance systems, and has joined the ranks of air defense units in different parts of the country in the form of the Mursad system.
Equipping the F-14 Tomcat fighter with the Hawk missile was in a project called Sejil during the imposed war. After the end of the imposed war, along with the development of the necessary technologies to build the Phoenix prototype, the work of improving the compatibility of the Hawk missile with the F-14 continued, which recorded another successful test in the 1380s.
In 2018, the country's defense industry succeeded in developing the indigenous model of the Hawk missile under the name of Shahin and then the Shalamcheh model. The appearance of this missile (body and wing) was not different from the original model, but the new radar seeker and digital processing systems were the distinguishing features of these missiles from the American model. The same slotted array antennas used in air defense or air-to-air missiles with a harmonic pattern for the slots,
Comparing the physical and functional characteristics of the Shalamcheh missile with the American model showed that Iran's specialists have developed an engine similar to the M112 engine of the Hawk missile for Shalamcheh. Later, it became clear that the name of the Iranian solid fuel engine is the same as M112. The American engine has a mass of 395 kg, of which 295 kg is related to solid fuel, and it produces 84.5 kilonewtons of thrust in the power phase for 4 to 5 seconds and 13.3 kilonewtons of thrust in the main phase of 21 to 25 seconds.
Shalamcheh-2 air defense missile
The second sample of Shalamcheh missile has been produced in recent years, which in the first place seems to be based on the aerodynamic shape including the body, wings and bulkhead of the standard RIM-66 missile, but with Shalamcheh missile's engine and guidance systems. But a detailed comparison of the diameter of the standard missile body, i.e. 34.4 cm, with the 35.7 cm Shlamcheh shows that the diameter of the standard missile body is smaller than that of the Shlemcheh, which shows that the mentioned engine cannot be placed inside the standard missile body.
The published images from the Egittar 40 exhibition showed that the words M112 as a solid fuel engine were engraved on the body of the Shalamcheh-2 missile. As a result, this missile retained the body and engine of the previous generation of the Shalamcheh missile, but its wings, control beams and nose were designed according to the standard missile.
The characteristic aspect of the configuration of the standard missile is actually the extended wings (Long Wing) in line with the body, which is used in Shalamcheh-2.
The advantage of the standard missile configuration is much less wing span and folding control beams compared to the Hawk/Shelmcheh missile configuration, which makes it possible to deploy this missile inside the launch compartment or canister. Shalamcheh-2 has a difference in the design of the main wing compared to the standard missile, which includes the removal of the root of the wing extended towards the nose in the Iranian example compared to the American one.
Minor differences can be seen in the control beam of the Shalamcheh missile and the standard missile. Due to the fact that the new missile is launched from launchers with a container or canister, it will have higher mobility and displacement capabilities than Shalamcheh and Shahin missiles. These launchers protect the rocket from external factors, from the effects of explosions to various weather conditions, and they make the task of transporting the system, including the launcher containing the ready-to-fire rocket, simpler and more reliable. Also, reloading the rockets inside the canister on the launcher vehicle in the operational environment is faster and safer than the previous canisterless launchers.
In addition, due to the relationship between the burning time of the solid fuel propellant and its initial temperature, by placing the rocket in the chamber, it is possible to adjust its temperature within the optimal range (by installing the necessary mechanisms), which causes the same performance of all rockets in the system in terms of thrust generation profile.
The way thrust force is produced has a direct effect on the rocket's performance. These launchers are filled with nitrogen, which is a neutral gas and does not cause a chemical reaction with different materials under normal conditions, so that the properties of the rocket's solid fuel remain in the same conditions as the design conditions and reach the best possible performance.
In short, it can be said that in order to improve the Morsad system, the transition from Shalamcheh missile to Shalamcheh-2 with new launchers and higher tactical capabilities has been made by maintaining the engine, body and guidance systems of the Shalamcheh missile and the design of different control wings and wings.
The M112 engine used on the Shalamcheh-2 surface-to-air missiles has been used in the country's defense industry to reach an air-to-air missile. The first generation of the Fekur 90 air-to-air missile was designed and built using the Shalamcheh rocket engine, but with wings and wings similar to the Phoenix missile and with the same weight as the Shalamcheh missile. This missile was unveiled in April 2016 and after completion of its production line, it was opened in August 2017.
The purpose of using the configuration of the Phoenix missile compared to the Hawk is to make it possible to carry the Fekor missile in the positions under the fuselage of the F-14 Tomcat fighter, because the possibility of carrying the Hawk/Sajil/Shalmche missile in the position under the Tomcat fuselage is practically far from reach, if not impossible, due to the size of the wing span.
Of course, the Fekor is heavier than the Phoenix missile with a mass of 1,405 pounds, equivalent to 636.47 kg, but its domestic mass production and the high capabilities that result from the use of the new guidance and electronic warfare system in the Fekor 90 are a suitable temporary solution until the development of the domestic version of the Phoenix missile named Maqsood.
It should be noted that, in general, the prices of domestically made defense products are said to be one-quarter to one-third of the foreign ones, and in some cases even lower, as a result, with the country's limited defense budget, a suitable number of domestically-made missiles can be used. The possibility of installing Fekor-90 in the position under the body of the Tomcat increases the combat reliability of this fighter in air battles, because instead of two Hawk/Sajil missiles, six Fekor-90 missiles can be carried and used by F-14. The difference in the dimensions of the Hawk missiles (under the wings of the rear plane) and the Phoenix missile (under the body of the front plane) is evident.
No information has been published about the guidance system of the Fakhor missile, but it is likely to be derived from the Shalamcheh missile system, which means semi-active radar. Various tests were claimed to have indicated the very good resistance of this missile against electronic warfare, and it is also suspected that the technologies acquired in the field of the dual guidance system of the Sayad-2 missile, which was unveiled in 2013, were used in the Fakhor missile.
An example of that was displayed at the 40 In the markings recorded on the AIM-23B missile or Fekur at the launch of the production line in 2017, the storage temperature of this missile was from minus 40 to plus 60 and the temperature range at which the missile can be fired was from minus 31.7 to plus 51.7 degrees Celsius (centigrade). The lower limit of this temperature range is equivalent to the flight altitude of about 7200 meters. Typically, this firing temperature limitation is related to the rocket's solid fuel propellant. Marks on the body of the Fakkur missile at the unveiling of the production line in 2017; The top image shows the mass of the rocket in pounds and the bottom image shows the type of engine and storage and firing temperature However, in the Fekur 90 missile displayed in the 2019 Holy Defense Week exhibition, which features the ATMF-90B feature on its body (the training sample with the ATM feature and the combat sample with the AIM feature are displayed), the name of the M190 engine and its temperature range from minus 65 to plus 160 Fahrenheit, equivalent to minus 53.89 to 71.11 degrees Celsius, are recorded. What are the features of the new M190 engine, it is not yet known, but this change in the temperature range indicates changes in its fuel. The flight height equivalent to the lower limit of the temperature range of the AIMF-90B missile is approximately equal to 10,600 meters, which shows a significant improvement compared to the AIMF-90 sample that was unveiled in April 2016, although the weight of the AIMF-90B missile on the body is the same as that of the AIMF-90 missile. Marks recorded on the body of the Fakkur 90 missile present at the Eghter 40 exhibition in 2019 As mentioned, Fekur has been introduced as a medium-range missile. There is no information about its range and speed in the official news , but it should be noted that the M112 engine, starting from the ground level, i.e. zero speed and altitude, reaches a speed of Mach 2.7 at the same altitude (which is not always the same). The final range of 40 km and the ceiling height of 18,000 meters are other operational characteristics of Shalamcheh, but in the Fekor missile, which starts its mission from an airplane at a non-zero initial speed and altitude, a large part of the kinetic energy produced by the engine, which was used to overcome gravity to gain altitude, is converted into kinetic energy to gain more range and speed. On the other hand, the carrier itself also gives the missile an initial speed of at least Mach 0.3 to higher Mach numbers, which also increases the range and final speed, as a result, the operating range of the Fekor missile in the air-to-air mode will be much greater than that of the Shlamcheh missile in the surface-to-air mode. Fakkur 90 and Shlamcheh 2 missiles are very similar in terms of the shape of the nose It is unclear what improvements the M190 engine has over the M112 engine in terms of propulsion characteristics, besides lowering the temperature limit. But we can better understand the amount of improvement that can be achieved by changing the engine by citing an example. The two air defense missiles Sayad-2 and 3, which were placed together in the recent exhibition, do not differ from each other in terms of the diameter of the body, and the length of the Sayad-3 is about 11% longer, but this missile, which has a newer engine, reaches 60% more range than the Sayad-2. While the weight of Sayad-2 and 3 are also very close to each other, this comparison shows that changing the fuel composition can have a significant effect on the performance of a rocket. Sayad-2 and 3 missiles next to Fakkur 90 in Egettar 40 exhibition The production of Fakour air-to-air missiles with advanced flight electronics is an important step towards increasing the deterrence power of Iran's F-14 interceptors. These missiles have been put into service with a much lower cost compared to foreign samples and numerous tests conducted in the development stages and can be used to defend the country's sky and destroy all types of targets that can be identified with the powerful radar of F-14 fighters. www.skyhunter.ir Sedjeel / Sedjil / Sajil (air-to-air missile) Type Air-to-air missile[1] Service history In service 1988 April Used by Iran Manufacturer Iran Mass 500 kg Length 5 m Diameter 40 cm Propellant Solid fuel Operational range 90 km Maximum speed 4-5 mach Guidance system guided semiconductor radar
AIM-23A SkyHawk / Sajil
The Sajil air-to-air missile is a semi-active radar guided missile, is a product of the Self-Sufficiency Jihad Organization of the Air Force, which is actually a modified example of the Hawk surface-to-air defense missile. For this missle just two kills were recorded in Iran-Iraq War. Near Kermanshaah ( west of Iran ) and near the end of the war, the first one was against a Super Etendard by F.A.Mazandarani and the second was against an Iaqi Sukhoi aircraft by Col.Adeli. The second one being shot down is still disputed.
The Sejil / Sejjil nomenclature is also applied to a family of Iranian solid-fueled medium range ballistic missiles, developed as replacements for the Shahab liquid-fueled ballistic missiles. Sejiel, meaning stone, was the characteristic of the stones with which God tormented the people of Lot and the companions of the elephant. Sejiil is used three times in the Qur'an . Once in Surah Fil and the story of Ashab Fil and twice in the story of Lot's people in Surahs Hud and Hajar.
Iran's missile power is now one of the great achievements of the Islamic Republic in the field of military technologies and defense power of the country. One of the most effective weapons on the battlefield, with the ability of heavy and deadly strikes on land, air and sea, are missiles, and air-to-air missiles are considered one of the important members of this family.
Air-to-air missiles are guided missiles that fighter aircraft use to destroy targets such as airplanes, helicopters, or other missiles. These types of missiles are divided into two general classes; Missiles with a range of less than 30 km, which are known as "short-range" or within the field of view, often use an infrared homing system (thermal guidance) to find the target. Another group of "intermediate" and "long-range" missiles, known as beyond-the-line-of-sight missiles, often use radar guidance to find targets.
Air-to-air missiles are divided into two main groups, radar and heat-seeking, based on the type of guidance. Short-range missiles use heat-seeking systems and long-range missiles use radar guidance. In the radar type, radar waves and reflection from the target plane are used to track and chase the target. But in the thermal type, the heat of exhaust gases from the engine of the target aircraft is intercepted by an infrared detector and guides the missile to hit the target.
The Sajil air-to-air missile, a semi-active radar guided missile, is a product of the Self-Sufficiency Jihad Organization of the Air Force. It is actually a modified example of the Hawk surface-to-air defense missile. After six years of the holy defense era and the prolongation of the imposed war, the lack of parts and weapons needed by the F-14 fighter, such as the Phoenix missile, missile cooling oil, batteries, as well as the lack of coordination of the medium-range Sparrow and short-range Sidewinder missiles with the F-14 radar used in Iran, was felt.
The Iranian F-14A Tomcats faced a shortage of air to air missile during the Iran-Iraq war. As a result, a team of 13 Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force personnel were tasked to resolve the situation. The outcome of the project was the adaptation of the MIM-23 Hawk surface to air missile to a medium range air to air missile, which was vastly available and accessible in The Iranian Armed Forces arsenal. In 1986, during the Iran-Iraq war (1980-1988), The IRIAF F-14A Tomcats faced a serious problem; a shortage of air to air missiles. The American made air superiority fighter aircraft was employed in The Imperial Iranian Air Force in January of 1976, armed with the long range Phoenix missile. Before the deployment of the short range Sidewinder missile model �L� and the medium range Sparrow missile model �F�, which were adapted to the F-14, The Iranian Revolution broke out in early 1979. As a result, all military contracts were nullified by the new Islamic Government, leaving the F-14s armed with only the Phoenix missile and the 20mm M61 Vulcan Cannon.
Once the Iran-Iraq war began in September of 1980, the F-14s scrambled to defend the country; however, the prolonged war and the imposed military sanctions by the U.S., caused The Tomcats to suffer from a shortage of operational Phoenix missiles. Although The IRIAF still had substantial quantities of the Phoenix missile, but the lack of coolant and the decaying batteries of the missile left the F-14s unarmed. The F-14s were also armed with Sparrow E-2 and Sidewinder J air to air missiles, but the missiles used for the F-4s were not 100% compatible to the F-14�s radar, the AWG-9, and offered a degraded rate of accuracy. The IRIAF needed a new accessible and reliable air to air missile. The newly created office of Air Force Deputy to the Office of Self-Sufficiency Movement proposed the use of MIM-23 Hawk surface to air missile as a replacement for the Phoenix missile; however, the suggestion was strongly opposed by Col. Houshang Seddigh, the IRIAF Commander and his Air Defense Directors.
Nevertheless, The Air Force Deputy to the Office of Self-Sufficiency Movement, despite oppositions to the proposal, presented its confidential plan to The Deputy Commander in Chief at the time, Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani. The plan was approved for the commencement of the tests and orders were forwarded to Col. Seddigh. One F-14 and five out of service MIM-23 Hawk Missiles returned back from the front lines were delivered to a hanger for the experimentation.
The project was classified as Top Secret under the supervision of the Self-Sufficiency Movement Office. A team1 of 13, IRIAF personnel consisting of one Pilot, 2 Weapons System Officers �WSO� and 10 specialized personnel, directed by Maj. Fereidoun AliMazandarani, and a support team consisting of 9, IRIAF personnel were ordered to finalize the tests within six months.
The missile chosen for the project, MIM-23 Hawk, was longer, wider and heavier than the Phoenix missile making it possible to load only on two of the pylons, No. 1 & 8. The pylons and missiles both were internally reinforced and modified with the proper parts to load the Hawk missiles for flight test. Due to the rapid progress of the program, The IRIAF Commander, Col. Seddigh, began supporting the program unreservedly.
Upon the successful flight of the two hanging missiles for take off, aircraft maneuverability, onboard missile stability, landing and all other required tests, the next stage began: the drop of the missile safely before its rocket fired underneath the aircraft. The MIM-23 Hawk missile launched from its launcher directly once it was fired; however, in order for it to be fired from an aircraft, it needed to separate and then fire its rocket at a safe distance from the fighter to avoid damaging it. Besides separating, the missile had to make a 90 degree clockwise turn on its longitudinal axis first before firing its rocket. After finalizing the ground tests, it was time to initiate the first live test.
Six aircrafts were involved in the first live test; i.e., missile release, firing & target acquirement, one F-14 as leader of the group flown by Maj. Fereidoun AliMazandarani, director and pilot of the Sedjil project group, & WSO Capt. Mohammad Oghbaei, two F-4s which would fly on each side of the F-14 and from the rear recording the test by their TISEO, one 707 fuel tanker just in case the test flight took longer than expected and one Falcon Jet flying at 2000ft equipped with cameras and telemetric systems to capture the release and the firing of the missile from below as it flew at line up rest formation. The sixth craft was a remotely controlled BQM-34 Target Drone which was designated as a target for the initial firing test of the SEDJIL air to air missile. After the briefing was finalized by Maj. AliMazandarani in the afternoon, the Falcon pilot declined to fly his aircraft due to the possibility of explosion from the missile if it failed.
Although the distance between all aircraft involved were at a safe distance and breaking away instructions were given to each aircraft, the Falcon pilot still refused to fly his plane on this mission. The debate went on for a few hours and by the time they were finished without reaching a conclusion, it was already too late to initiate the test. Maj. AliMazandarani contacted Col. Seddigh, advising him of the situation and requested a new flight crew that would go through with the plan and test. The Air Force Commander advised the Major to reschedule take off flight for the following morning at 8 am, using his Falcon Jet for the test and sitting in the co-pilot seat himself. Although the commander of the IRIAF, the next morning Col. Seddigh attended the briefing as the co-pilot of the Falcon Jet, while Maj. Ali Mazandarani, as head of the project and flight leader, briefed everyone once again.
The flights took off at 8am from Mehrabad Airport and once everyone was in their position, Major AliMazandarani turned his F-14 towards the target and WSO Capt. Oghbaei fired the first missile at the drone in Semnan Controlled Range. Upon confirmation of the safe dropping and firing sequence of the missile towards the drone, Col. Seddigh ordered the F-14 to fire the second missile as well and after going through the relative processes, a lock on the target was acquired and the second missile was fired by Maj. AliMazandarani toward its target drone. The test was a success in terms of the release and safe firing of both MIM-23s, as well as target pursuit by the missiles. After viewing the test films, the team realized that the time between release and ignition of the missile is slightly long.
Since The IRIAF did not have any manufacturing testing equipment, they resorted to unconventional methods of testing. As a result, a trench was dug along the trim pad area in The 8th TFB in Esfahan with the F-14 suspended by a rescue crane over it while having pylon No.1 in the center line of the trench for the firing sequence test.
The warhead was removed and the timing between the release and ignition was precisely computed by telemetry instruments without the rocket actually firing. All systems on board the aircraft were on except for the engines and with the help of WSO Lt. Yousef Ahmadi, the time between release and firing was shortened by 5 milliseconds.
After the initial test, the most difficult step began which was the compatibility of the AWG-9 radar�s onboard computer to the Hawk missile. The MIM-23 surface to air missile�s radar system receives all information from the target and feeds it to the missile before firing from its ground launcher; however, if fired from the F-14, it would require a constant data exchange between the AWG-9 radar and the Hawk missile. The MIM-23 needed to understand the data from the AWG-9 that was being fed to it. After a week of intense planning and computer programming, the team came up with a hardware interface box, translating the signals between the F-14 computer and the Hawk missile. Now the F-14 could identify the Hawk missile and the missile could understand all data for flight and trajectory corrections being fed to it from the aircraft. In less than 40 days, the missile was ready and it was time for the live test of the MIM-23 Hawk missile, renamed SEDJIL Missile.
Fifteen days later the same crew scheduled the first hot flight test armed with the Sedjil missile. The F-14 was flying at 22,000 ft and the drone was at 25000 ft with a 25� angle off and a range of 45Km. After the target was picked up and locked on, Maj. AliMazandarani fired his missile as he simultaneously turned opposite the drone�s flight path and several seconds later the target was hit and splashed. However, after these successful tests, there was skepticism amongst the high ranking officers of The Air Defense who suggested testing in a more difficult scenario. This time Maj. AliMazandarani was ordered to stand down and the flight was carried out by the supporting team members, Col. Shahram Rostami, Deputy Director to the Air Force Operations, and WSO Lt. Davood MasoumParast.
Major AliMazandarani briefed the flight crew of the process of tracking, locking and firing sequence. Along with Col. Babaii, Director of Air Force Operations, they headed to The Semnan Range and oversaw the test. Once the target was acquired and hit, both the Colonel and Major were the first to arrive at the scene of the downed drone, confirming the kill. Everyone seemed to be satisfied; however, after a few days The Air Defense authorities stated that in order to release the Hawk missiles to the Tomcats, a third hot flight in none ideal conditions and worst case scenario is needed.
The Sedjil Project team was planning a non ideal scenario for the third test drone, when Col. Babaii called from Bushehr 6th TFB directing Maj. AliMazandarani to fly to Bushehr and commence testing on an actual enemy aircraft. After 3 days of full alert, Maj. AliMazandarani and Lt. Ansarin scrambled their F-14A towards incoming Iraqi fighters heading towards Khark Island. At a distance of 25 miles the F-14 fired its first Sedjil missile; however, the missile was one of five missiles used during the initial tests of the project which was loaded by mistake. The bad rocket dropped, fired and did a barrel roll over the front of the cockpit and Radom missing the Tomcat as it headed down towards the sea. The pilots reacquired the target, locked on and fired the second missile at a range of 20 miles, hitting it several seconds later, thus proving the success of the project. It was sheer luck or destiny that saved the F-14 from a disaster that may have suspended the project altogether and perhaps change the face of the war.
On the way back to the base, it was discovered that the downed fighter was the French made Super Etendard capable of carrying the infamous anti ship Exocet missile, one of the five fighters leased from the French government. The test not only proved successful, but revived the IRIAF Tomcats, striking fear into the Iraqi Air Force that the F-14s were still a threat; especially, with the downing of the Super Etendard fighter. After the test, several of the F-14s were modified to carry the Sedjil missile along with the limited supply of operational Phoenix missiles.
The first operational Sedjil air to air missile shot down two Iraqi aircrafts over Kermansha Province flying in close formation with a single Sedjil missile by IRIAF F-14 pilot, Lt. Col. Asadollah Adeli, eliminating all doubts regarding the reliability and effectiveness of the adapted missile.
As the war ended in 1988, The IRIAF had time to try and revive the Phoenix missiles using substitutes for the coolant and batteries. The IRIAF F-14s now carry both the Phoenix and Sedjil missile on their pylons.
This missile is designed and built with a weight of about 500 kg, a length of 5 meters and a diameter of about 40 cm. After removing the engine of the first stage of this missile in the optimized sample, its effective range has reached about 90 km. The speed of this missile is estimated at Mach 2.4 in the prototype and Mach 4-5 in the optimized samples. The first examples of Sajil used the semi-active radar guidance system, but the new examples of this system are equipped with the Fire and Forget system. Regarding its location, this missile is installed and fired in the pylons under the wing of the F-14.
The engine of the prototypes of this missile started immediately after the pilot pressed the launch button. In this situation, due to the short distance of the missile from the fighter and its high temperature, there was a possibility of damage to the mother fighter. So that in the new example, after firing the missile, its engine starts and starts moving after 10 meters of free fall.
After months of ground and flight tests and during various tests in real battlefields, these missiles finally found compatibility with the advanced AN/AWG-9 "Tomcat" radar with modifications and were introduced as a new weapon under the title of AIM-23A SkyHawk (Sajil Project). Due to its large size, only two missiles of this missile could be installed on the fighter, while each F-14 fighter was capable of carrying up to six "Phoenix" missiles (of course, for better performance, between 2 and 4 Phoenix missiles were usually carried on the Tomcat), but with all these interpretations, the new move, which is considered a great self-sufficiency in the aviation industry and was like fresh blood in the veins of the Air Force.
The first military and air combat use of this missile was carried out during the Holy Defense period by Colonel Mazandarani, the F-14 master fighter pilot, along with the rear cockpit pilot, Colonel Mohammad Aqbaei, in the Persian Gulf. Amir Brigadier Fazlullah Javednia is one of the professors of the F-14 fighter pilot, and in his memoirs titled "Battle in the Sky", referring to the Sajil missile and referring to Air Force documents, he mentioned Colonel Asadullah Adili as one of the pilots who destroyed an Iraqi MIG-29A plane with the Sajil missile during the Sacred Defense.
Sedjil (Persian: stone) is an Iranian air-to-air missile, which is a "guided semiconductor radar", made in Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (by the organization of "Jahad-Khodkafai" [Self-sufficiency jihad]); which is in truth the changed-user of ground-to-air missile of HAWK. Sedjil's weight is approximately 500 kg, its length is 5 meters and its diameter is about 40 cm. The effective range of the missile is approximately 90 km. Its speed is estimated to be about 4-5 mach.
After passing six years from Iran-Iraq War (and as a prolonged war, which led in shortage of weapons, etc. for Iranian forces), they felt the need of the related war-pieces. Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force, applied an experienced-pilot, namely "Fereidun Ali Mazandarani" as the experimenter pilot in November 1986, and succeeded to synchronize the mentioned missile with the radar AN/EWG-9, dedicated to fighter-planes. Likewise, at the mentioned action, the experts of "Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force" presented a related plan, too. The conversion plan and use of HAWK-missile was for the first time on 12 August 1986 with the name of "Project-Sedjil" by Ata'allah-Bazargan (a high-ranking military pilot) and also Fereidun Ali Mazandarani; and it was submitted to Iran-air-force. This missile, finally was designed and made on 4 April 1988.
https://irangeomil.blogspot.com/2019/05/analysis-saudi-arabian-air-and-missile.html Fatir / Fatter / Fater Type Short-range air-to-air missile Place of origin Iran Service history Used by Iranian Air Force Production history Produced Since 2009 Specifications Diameter 127 mm Detonation mechanism Proximity fuse Propellant solid rocket fuel Operational range 40km Guidance system Infrared homing Launch platform Aircraft Operators Iran
Fatir / Fatter / Fater (M-9 Sidewinder)
Fatir / Fatter ( Creator or Originator, not worshipper) is a short range missile which uses an AIM-9 Sidewinder missile body and Iranian avionics. The nomenclature derives from Fatir, also known as Al-Mala�ikaha, the 35th chapter of the Qur'an, with 45 verses. The first verse is "Creator of the heavens and the earth, who makes the angels messengers with wings of two, three, and four. He increases in creation what He wills. God is capable of everything." Surah Fatir was revealed in Makkah Al-Mukarramah, and opened with praise to God for the perfection of His ability to create this universe and to dispose of it. Al-Fatir is one of the beautiful attributes of God in Islam , and some scholars considered it one of the most beautiful names of God , and most scholars did not consider it one of the most beautiful names because it was mentioned in the Qur�an and hadiths with the addition - { the creator of the heavens and the earth } - and it was not mentioned separately.
Iran has developed a reverse-engineered version of its US-supplied AIM-9P Sidewinder air-to-air missiles, known to the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF) as Fatir. It is not clear if Iran has developed the technical ability to fully copy the AIM-9 design locally, or to supply specific components that allow time-expired US-built missiles to be returned to service.
Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF) Commander Hassan Shahsafi announced 04 December 2008 the construction of an advanced thermal air-to-air missile on Sunday night on the sidelines of the wedding ceremony of some of the Air Force's employees and said: "One of the thermal air-to-air missiles produced by the Air Force will conduct its hot test." He added: This air-to-air thermal missile was fired by one of the army's air force planes and will pursue and detonate the target that was dropped by another plane.
According to Shahsafi, this air-to-air missile was tested in a different way in the northwest exercise of the army air force, which was held a while ago. Referring to the efforts of the self-sufficient jihad of this force to produce new equipment, the commander of the Air Force said: All stages of the production of this missile were carried out by the experts of the Air Force, which currently has a range of more than 40 kilometers, and plans are underway to upgrade it to 100 kilometers.
Shahsafi, announcing that the Air Force has reached the technical knowledge of building thermal air-to-air missiles with a range of more than 100 kilometers, said: "After the successful construction of this missile, we will provide it to the Ministry of Defense for mass production."" Little other information is available about the missile.
General Shahsafi told the Islamic republic news agency 10 July 2011 that this missile with a test-fire range of over 40 kilometers is one of the heat-seeking missiles designed in the Iranian Air Force Research Center which has already been used in military maneuvers. He also said that the design phase of invisible airplanes has been completed in the Air Force, adding that the first prototype plane of this category is under construction.
Referring to the high readiness of the Iranian Air Force to face any eventualities, he said the force has recently forced some foreign intruding airplanes to land before managing to go out of the Iranian air space. Shahsafi underlined that the Iranian Air Force along with other military forces is determined to keep itself in a state of high preparedness in spite of all hostile threats and propaganda in order to strongly confront any security threats.
He pointed to the capability of rapid reaction as a remarkable character of the Iranian Air Force to defend Iran's interests in this sensitive region notably in the Persian Gulf. The Air Force commander said Iran pursues an independent policy in this sensitive region and tries to equip itself with the most sophisticated weaponry systems.
With the end of the war and the purchase of eastern planes, newer examples of air-to-air missiles entered Iran, which were tested on other types of air force fighter planes in order to coordinate the fleet of each of the existing western and eastern missiles, including the American AIM-9 missile on the Chinese F-7 and the French Mirage F1, the Russian R-73 missile on the American F-4, the Chinese PL-7 on the French Mirage F1, the American F-4 and F-5, and the Russian R-27 On the American F-14, some results were achieved and some were abandoned in the same test stages, but the purpose of these actions was probably that in the special conditions of the air force's battle, there is the potential of maximum use of all facilities with minimal restrictions.
A little later, the Air Force Self-Sufficiency Jihad as the executor of air-to-air plans introduced its new missile called "Fatir", which appeared to be an optimized version of the AIM-9 Sidewinder, which was purchased from the United States before the revolution, with the aim of exploiting existing Western fighters and its thermal guidance capability.
In this project, the initial goal was probably to improve the performance and service life of the existing missiles that had been purchased for a long time, then the construction of a similar model was on the agenda, considering the successful experience of the Sidewinder during the eight-year war, although there is no information available about the results of this project. After these activities, various news about the optimization of air-to-air weapons in the structure of the air force were seen in various ceremonies, including parades of the armed forces.
Sayad (air defense missile)
Sayyad [Hunter] air defense missile system is a series of air defense missiles which come in four different generations, and each generation has its own characteristics and advantages different from the previous generation. The Power 373 system and the Som Khordad system with its different models and other missile systems for air defense use Sayyad missiles in its various versions. Therefore, these missiles are constantly being developed to suit the defense systems that use them.
It is necessary for Iran to possess air defense systems, in light of the imposed sanctions and the non-granting of such systems by other countries, as the focus is currently on designing and manufacturing these systems locally inside the country, in order to provide a good and advanced air cover with the ability to field confront the enemy�s strategic weapons, such as fighters, stealth launchers, ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and types of drones. From this standpoint, medium and long-range air defense systems are of great importance in enhancing deterrence capacity and the preservation of vital and civilian installations against air threats.
Over the past years, the defense industries in the Republic of Iran have been able to achieve remarkable successes in designing and producing various types of air defense systems. These achievements include a number of radar systems, missile systems, detection, control and guidance systems. Iranian experts, with internal capabilities, were able to design and produce all the requirements of these systems, many of which entered practical service with the air defense units of the Iranian Armed Forces.
Mobile missile systems are of paramount importance in protecting the skies of the Republic of Iran. Given the rapid development of anti-radiation weapons, this matter constituted an important strategy for the Iranian Armed Forces in the field of air defense, based on the directives of the Commander-in-Chief of the Iranian Armed Forces. Defense systems, which consist of detection and identification equipment, weapons, equipment and communications, play a very important role in military confrontations.
Defensive systems were and still are the most important in terms of operational operations and the psychological aspect of those confrontations. Air defense systems are a priority for the armed forces in the Republic of Iran, as they are considered the front line on the confrontation front, especially since the Commander-in-Chief of the Iranian Armed Forces has previously confirmed this, saying: �The Iranian air defense headquarters constitutes the front line in the defense of the country and it is the dignity of the country and its entity.�
In the field of air defense, Iran is providing air defense systems with the possibility of mobility, which constituted an important incentive for the armed forces to reach remarkable achievements in the design and development of air defenses and the manufacture of mobile missile systems.
Sayyad-1
Sayyad 1, the Iranian designation for the Soviet S-75 Dovina [SA-2 Guideline], is the first generation of Iranian anti-aircraft missile air defense system. The warhead of the missile is 200 kilograms, while the speed of the missile is 1,200 meters per hour. There is a medium-range version that was developed from the Sayyad 1 missile, which is the Sayyad 2 missile.
Sayyad-2
Sayyad 2 is said to be one of the more modern air defense missile systems in the Republic of Iran. It is a special air defense missile for medium range and high altitude. It was designed according to modern technology in the world. It operates on solid fuel and has a dual guidance system. It has a high operational capacity and can follow the target automatically. One of its most important targets is the destruction of various types of helicopters, drones, and targets with a low radar cross-sectional surface. It has high speed and maneuverability in its operational range.
Among its other advantages is that it has a high ability against electronic warfare and automatic and independent tracking of targets. On the other hand, a Sayyad 2 simulates the performance of the American Patriot missiles. Apart from some similarities in dimensions and performance between Sayyad 2 and Patriot, and the mission of the two systems in defending fixed and strategic installations, the launch platforms of the two systems are also very similar.
The launch platform consists of four containers in the form of a rectangular cube , which rest in a 2 * 2 shape on the special truck. With the use of the Sayyad 2 missile in the Iranian long-range S-200 missile system, this system has the ability to deal with low altitude targets as well, drones, cruise missiles, and helicopters (without benefiting from its original missiles), and this combination of the two weapons took place within the framework of the Talaash project.
Some sources report the Sayyad-2 is a canister-launched, reverse engineered version of the RIM-66 Standard Missile (SM-1) naval surface-to-air missile that Iran obtained from the United States before the 1979 revolution. It is an upgraded version of the Sayyad-1 system with higher precision, range and defensive power. Other sources related that Sayyad 2 simulates the performance of the American Patriot missiles. Apart from some similarities in dimensions and performance between Sayyad 2 and Patriot, and the mission of the two systems in defending fixed and strategic installations, the launch platforms of the two systems are also very similar. And yet other sources claim the Sayyad 2 is a medium-range missile developed from the Sayyad 1 missile.
The missile publicly paraded and identified as the Sayyad-2 has a very strong resemblance to the Russian 9M317 anti-aircraft guided missile, which was created by the Dolgoprudnenskiy Research and Production Enterprise (DRPP). This missile is part of the 9K317M "Buk-M3" (9K37M3) medium-range air defense system of ground forces designed to fight maneuvering aerodynamic targets.
Sayyad-3
Sayyad 3 is a long-range missilem part of the indigenously-developed Khordad 15 air defense system. The missile belongs to the third generation of the Iranian air defense missile system (Sayyad). It has three modes of active, semi-active and infrared guidance and can hit targets at a range of 120 km and a height of 27 km. Sayyad 3 was tested in December 2016, and was shown for the first time on April 18, 2017 during the military parade on the occasion of the National Day of the Iranian Army , and the Republic of Iran announced the launch of a new production line of it on July 22, 2017 with the aim of standing up to medium and long-range air threats as the Republic of Iran aimsTo strengthen and modernize the Iranian air defense force short, medium and long range.
The Sayyad 3 missile was designed according to the latest technologies used recently, and it is capable of dealing with various types of threats such as war fighters that can hide from radar, including drones, cruise missiles and helicopters, and various types of modern aircraft that can maneuver at high altitude and at great speed.
The Sayyad 3 missile has the possibility of composite guidance, and it is equipped with effective and semi-effective search means, as well as infrared search means, and it has advanced capabilities to deal with various types of electronic warfare.
Sayyad-4
Sayyad 4 is a missile developed from the Sayyad-1 surface-to-air missile that is able to reach higher altitudes and hit its targets with greater accuracy. This type of missile are clalimed to have a synthetic guidance system and a high operational capacity. Also, these missiles come in two rectangular launch racks. Sayyad-4 missiles are somewhat similar to Sayyad-3 missiles in wings and surfaces, but differ slightly in their front shape.
Sayyad 4 missiles were used in the Iranian Power 373 air defense system. Power 373 is an Iranian- made long -range mobile air defense missile system S-300 air defense system This air system launches Iranian-made Sayyad missiles. The range of the Power system missiles is 300 kilometers and they can monitor enemy aircraft from long distances.
As it has the ability to destroy missiles, drones, ballistic missiles and warplanes, that is, it destroys several targets at the same time. The Power strategic system is designed to defend sensitive places inside Iran, such as nuclear facilities, large factories, airports, and other facilities.
Sayyad 4B
Sayyad 4B is an Iranian long-range solid fuel missile, seemingly based on the Russian 48N6E export modification for the S-300PMU1 air defense systems. The 48N6E rocket was developed at the Fakel Design Bureau, until 1991 under the leadership of P.D. Grushin, It is a new generation belonging to the family of Sayyad air defense missiles. It was officially revealed under the auspices of the Minister of Defense and Support of the Iranian Armed Forces, Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Ashtiani, the Commander of the Air Defense Force of the Army, Brigadier General Ali Reza Sabahi Fard, and a group of defense industry experts in the country. The production line for this missile has also been launched.
The Iranian News Agency stated that the Power 373 air defense system was tested successfully 05 November 2022 against long-range fixed targets with the long-range Sayyad 4B missile. It indicated that the Sayyad 4B missile contains solid fuel, and was fully operationally evaluated for the first time. In this test, a fixed target was detected at a range of more than 450 km by the developed radar of the �Power 373� system, and it was tracked at a range of about 405 km, and it was completely hit and destroyed at a range of more than 300 km.The detection radar range of the Power 373 system was increased from 350 to 450 km, and the engagement radar range of this system was increased from 260 to 400 km. The range of the system's missile has also been increased from 200 to 300 km, and its engagement height has been increased from 27 to 32 km.
The Thunder missile, which is based on the Chinese HQ-2 (Iranian Sayad-1) surface-to-air missiles, has a warhead of about 190 kg. The surface-to-air type of this missile is designed to reach a flight ceiling of 27 km, which in ballistic mode reaches more heights and reaches a range of more than 150 km. In fact, according to foreign sources, the range of Chinese models reaches at least 180 to 200 km in surface-to-surface mode. This missile also has aerodynamic control surfaces and theoretically, its path can be corrected and the error reduced until it hits the target. The maximum speed that can be achieved with this 10.8 meter rocket, which is powered by two primary stages of solid fuel as an accelerator and liquid fuel as the main engine, is 1200 to 1250 meters per second (more than 4 times the speed of sound). Although the estimated range of Thunder is more different than Fatih-110 with 300 km, but the presence of liquid fuel propellant in the second stage means the potential ability to control the amount of fuel and reduce the thrust produced at low altitudes. As a result, Thunder engine burns for a longer time and due to the increase in the amount of specific impact produced by the engine, it also increases its range. In fact, according to the physics of ballistic missiles, in the part of the initial phase (boost phase) when the missile moves in the dense atmosphere (low altitudes), the less power is used, the better, and instead, by increasing the thrust at high altitudes, the missile in Finally, it achieves more range and speed. The higher speed of the missile when entering the atmosphere means reducing the possible time for the enemy to react and reducing the probability of being hit by a ballistic missile or its detached warhead. https://aljanadpost.net/p-11782 https://rasekhoon.net/article/show-31797.aspx The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Navy has manufactured two new air-to-air missiles, a commander said 25 November 2023. IRGC Navy Commander Rear Admiral Ali Reza Tangsiri announced that the two new air-launched missiles have been developed for the purpose of destroying drones and cruise missiles. The two homegrown AAMs have a range of 4 km and 17 km, he added. The new missiles have already been manufactured and will be unveiled in future, the general noted. The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Navy has manufactured two new air-to-air missiles, a commander said. IRGC Navy Commander Rear Admiral Ali Reza Tangsiri announced on 23 March 2024 that the two new air-launched missiles have been developed for the purpose of destroying drones and cruise missiles. The two homegrown AAMs have a range of 4 km and 17 km, he added. The new missiles have already been manufactured and will be unveiled in future, the general noted. The Israeli media was preoccupied 25 March 2025 with the Iranian Air Force revealing a drone bearing the name Gaza. It was considered that the plane, which can carry 13 bombs and fly a distance of more than two thousand and two hundred kilometers, constitutes a strategic danger to Israel. For Israel, the drone war was considered an important war when the Israeli occupation and its successor, the United States, possessed this technology and excelled in it, but it became more important after the Islamic Republic of Iran began to excel in this technology with forty models of Iranian-produced drones. The Israeli media was busy with Iran�s announcement of an advanced drone bearing the name Gaza and carrying a set of military characteristics that made the Israeli media consider the plane a strategic threat to the Israeli entity because of the capabilities of this plane, whether technological or offensive. The Israeli media described the plane, which is considered an improved model of the Shahed 126, as a new tool in the hands of the Iranian army . The Israeli press was also busy listing the features of this plane, which was destroyed by Israeli planes. According to the Jerusalem Post and �Israel Hayom� newspapers, the plane can carry 13 bombs and can fly for 35 continuous hours with a range of up to 2,200 kilometers and a speed of 350 km. Kilometers per hour. These features are what prompted the Israeli media to say that the Israeli entity is in the range of Iranian technology, directly or indirectly.
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