By Hadi Ragh

Iran’s efforts to procure modern anti ship naval missiles started during its war with Iraq in the 1980s. Although the Iraqi navy was no match for the U.S equipped Iranian Navy, and almost the entirety of the Iraq’s navy was sunk by Iranian F-4 jets using T.V guided Maverick missiles early in the war, Iran encountered difficulties with the US navy when they entered the Persian gulf area, and covertly joined forces with the Iraqi war efforts.
The Iraqis were also supplied with French made state of the art Excocet missiles, which they used against naval, sea based oil platforms and land targets. Iran for its part was far more restricted in its search for weapons, and could only procure the silkworm missile from china, which were only effective against oil platforms and oil tankers, and were easily countered by U.S naval vassals.

After the war, Iran began an aggressive campaign to purchase modern anti ship missiles that would have the capability to threaten modern naval vessels, primarily those of the U.S navy, base in the Persian Gulf, and still hostile to Iran.

Iran first was able to purchase the C-801, and later the C-802 missiles from China, however, Iran knew that the Chinese are under pressure from the U.S to halt the sale of these missiles that would be a direct threat to U.S naval vassals in the Persian Gulf, and therefore in the early 1990s, Iran began to reverse-engineer the C-802 missiles. However, the most sophisticated and difficult part of the missile was its mini-jet engine, which required special material and help, that led Iran to seek secret technology transfer from France, which was the producer of the Excocet missile, which the C-802 is based on, and although Iran was unable to receiver any technical or technological help from France, Iran was able to put it’s own version the C-802, called the Noor missile into production by 1998, just in time for the cancellation of any additional Iranian orders for the C-802 by China.

Since then, Iran has progressed further and began the production several additional indigenous naval missiles, which give Iran a multi layered sea defence, capable of threaten any naval taskforce in existence.

The Kosar missile:

The Kosar missile is a supersonic cruise missile, which comes in two different models, one that is optically guided, and one that is radar guided. The optically guided version is stealth, and an attack using them will be unexpected and impossible to counter. The Kosar is a 2.5 metre missile, which weighs 105 kilograms, and carried a 30 Kilogram warhead. The Kosar missile is capable of being fired from all platforms, including land based batteries, naval vassals, and aircraft.






Fajre Darya Missile:

The Fajre missile is slightly larger than the Kosar missile, and slightly heavier, with a marginally larger warhead and range. It is a T.V guided missile, and can be fired from naval vassals and aircraft.





The Noor missile:

The Noor, which is the copy of the Chinese C-802 has gone through some recent modernisations, the most important of which is the replacement of its radar with a modern jam proof radar. The Noor had been adapted to be fired from all platforms and had been chosen to be fitted to Iran’s new maritime patrol aircrafts. The Noor missile has a range of 120 Kilometres, and carries a 160-kilogramme warhead.




Iran’s Noor equipped Maritime patrol craft





The Raad cruise missile:

The Raad cruise missile is the latest Iranian made anti ship missile with its mass production starting less than a year ago. This missile is undoubtedly one of the, if not the most potent anti ship missile in existence. The missile has a range of 360 kilometres, which surpasses even the range of the Russian made Yakhont missile, and has a speed of 350 metres per second, which translates to Mac 1.1. The missile is equipped with advanced guidance system and carried a 500 Kilogram warhead.
The missile also has enormous potential for land attack cruise capabilities, which could be used in areas that are heavily defended with anti ballistic missiles batteries, such as the PAC 3 system.





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CIA agent Geoffrey Kemp talking about Saddam Hussein:

“WE KNEW HE WAS A SON OF A BITCH, BUT HE WAS OUR SON OF A BITCH”

Good pics Hadi.

Last week Iran fired Stealth Missiles, I read it in Chinese forum. Can you provide some detailed info about it?

HBN, this is the stealth missile, but only the T.V guided version is
stealth:



THE WORLD IS A BRIDGE, CROSS IT, BUT BUILD NO HOUSE UPON IT!

“IS THERE LIFE AFTER DEATH? ... TRESSPASS HERE AND FIND OUT”






CIA agent Geoffrey Kemp talking about Saddam Hussein:

“WE KNEW HE WAS A SON OF A BITCH, BUT HE WAS OUR SON OF A BITCH”

HOW is it stealth? RAM?

Good job Iran. Hope you sink many foreign ships in your waters. I am glad to see you put good use with our missiles, i cannot believe US is listening to USA telling what to do, no pride.

I disagree with this stattement.. Russian made Yakhont missile, and has a speed of 350 metres per second, which translates to Mac 1.1. The missile is equipped with advanced guidance system and carried a 500 Kilogram warhead.
The missile also has enormous potential for land attack cruise capabilities, which could be used in areas that are heavily defended with anti ballistic missiles batteries, such as the PAC 3 system.

Yakhont is basically Russian INdian feel good copy of the Moskit, make india feel can accomplish something, however, Moskit speed uses ramjet to speed up on approach and travels speeds up to mach 4.5. Also, the range is 500 kms i think with booster i have seen in several forums.


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Tom, I’m not sure what material the missile is made out of, or even if the material is radar absorbing, but I think the reason that missile is stealth is because of it’s size and speed, and as I said, only the T.V guided version is stealth.
You must first learn how ships actually detect such missiles, before understanding why they are stealth. Even larger missiles such as the Exocet missile are extremely difficult to detect with even the most sophisticated radars, and they are mostly detected by the pulse of their radar’s homing device. So, any missile that travels very close to the surface of the sea and travels at a very fast seed is difficult to detect. The Iranian made “stealth” missile is only 2.5 meters long and is supersonic, and because the T.V guided version emits no radar pulse, it cannot be detected.

Also, the Indo Russian missile is called the Brahmos, and not the Yakhont.
The Yakhont (SS-N-26) is a Russian made only missile and is the next genegation from the Moskit (SS-N-22). The Moskit actually travels at Mac 2.5 and not Mac 4.5, and has an effective range of 250km, but can travel for 500 km.

Hope I helps.


THE WORLD IS A BRIDGE, CROSS IT, BUT BUILD NO HOUSE UPON IT!

“IS THERE LIFE AFTER DEATH? ... TRESSPASS HERE AND FIND OUT”






CIA agent Geoffrey Kemp talking about Saddam Hussein:

“WE KNEW HE WAS A SON OF A BITCH, BUT HE WAS OUR SON OF A BITCH”

@HAdi

Thanks for correcting me. when i said yakhont, i mean Brahmos. basically a co indian russian designed Yakhont. Somehwat more sophisticated. Also, with the missiles, i know that with most thigns, if travel close to the ground is harder to detect. This is the case with most things. Thansk for reminding me about that.

I know TV version is stealth as you said in your original post.

I thought i remember reading somewhere (lunnys forum???) from dragon that it travel 4.5 with some sort of jet, apparently, it unfolds and zooms in within the last few km. impossible to miss. also, can be equipped with a small nuke. Good to make able fire from submarines as cruise missile, a intresting deterrent, it has potential.

End.