FAS | Nuke | Guide | Iran |||| Search |





Missiles

Overview

Short Range Missiles

Missile Overview Chart

Name Stages Propellant Range (km) IOC Inventory Type Body Diameter (m) Comments
Shahab-1 1 liquid 285-330 1995 250-300 Scud-B 0.885
Shahab-2 1 liquid 500-700 -- 200-450 Scud-C 0.885
Samid 1 liquid? -- -- -- -- -- A small ballistic missile based on a reduced Scud design
Shahab-3
Zelzal-3
1 liquid 1,000-1,350-1,500 1999 -- MRBM 1.3 Also flown by North Korea (No-dong) and Pakistan (Ghauri II).
Shahab-3D
Zelzal-3D
2 liquid,solid 1,500+ 2001 -- MRBM 1.3 Also flown by North Korea (No-dong) and Pakistan (Ghauri II).
IRIS
Zelzal-3D
2 liquid,solid 1,500+ 2001 -- MRBM 1.3 Also flown by North Korea (No-dong) and Pakistan (Ghauri II).
Shahab-4 3 liquid,solid 1,800-2,000 -- -- MRBM 1.65 Indigenously developed system with similar performance to the Soviet SS-4.
IRSL-X-2 3 liquid,solid 2,200-2,672
or
2,200-2,896
-- -- M/IRBM 1.3 Satellite launch variant of the Shahab-4. Indigenously derived version of North Korea's NKSL-1.
Shahab-5
IRSL-X-3/Kosar
IRIS
2,3 liquid,solid 3,500-3,750 (2 stage)

4,000-4,300 (3 stage)
-- -- LRICBM 2.2 Indigenously developed system with similar performance to the Soviet SS-5. May also flown by North Korea (Taep'o-dong-2).
Shahab-6
IRSL-X-4/Kosar
3 liquid,solid 5,470-5,500
or
5,632-6,200
6,200-6,700
> 8,000
-- -- LRICBM

LRICBM
LRICBM
FRICBM
2.2 Satellite launch variant of the Shahab-5. Indigenously derived version of North Korea's NKSL-X-2. The claimed range probably exceeds what is technically feasible. It most likely is similar in performance to the Soviet SS-5 (4,000-4,300).

No-dong / Shahab-3
Range-Payload to Throwweight Trade-offs
Stages Payload Range Country
kg Pounds km Miles
One-Stage 1,158 2,553 1,350 839 Iran
760 1,676 1,500 932 Pakistan
Official figures
Taep'o-dong-1 / Shahab-4
Range to weight Defenition
Stages Payload Range
kg Pounds km Miles
Two-Stage 1,000 2,205 2,000 1,243
750 1,654 2,200 1,367
Three-Stage 500 1,103 2,475 1,538
380 838 2,672 1,660
290 640 2,896 1,800
Estimates based on limited data
Taep'o-dong-2 / Shahab-5
Range-Payload to Throwweight Trade-offs
Stages Payload Range
kg Pounds km Miles
Two or Three
Stage variant
1,000 2,205 3,500 2,175
750 1,654 3,750 2,330
570 1,257 4,000 2,486
500 1,103 4,100 2,548
420 926 4,248 2,640
403 889 4,264 2,650
390 860 4,300 2,672
Estimates based on limited data
Improved Taep'o-dong-2B / Shahab-5B/6
Range to weight Defenition
Stages Payload Range
kg Pounds km Miles
Three-Stage 610-490 1,345-1081 5470 3,399
570-480 1,257-1058 5,500 3,418
490-440 1,080-970 5,632 3,500
290-330 640-728 6,000 3,728
230-270 505-595 6,200 3,853
170-220 375-485 6,400 3,977
100-150 221-331 6,700 4,163
Preliminary Estimates based on limited data (March 2002)
Taep'o-dong-3 / Shahab-5B / 6
Range to weight Defenition
Stages Payload Range
kg Pounds km Miles
Three-Stage 1,200-1,220 2,646-2,690 5,470 3,399
1,130-1,200 2,492-2,646 5,500 3,418
900-1,040 2,492-2,646 5,500 3,418
700 1,544 6,000 3,728
550-540 1,213-1,191 6,200 3,853
390-420 860-926 6,400 3,977
270-290 595-640 6,700 4,163
Preliminary Estimates based on limited data (March 2002)
Taep'o-dong-4 / Shahab-7 Concepts
Range to weight Defenition
Stages Payload Range
kg Pounds km Miles
Three-Stage 1,030 2,271 9,000 5,593
810 1,786 10,000 6,214
480 1,054 12,000 7,457
100 221 15,000 9,321
Preliminary Estimates based on a conceptual model for the system

NOTES:

SRBM - Short Range Ballistic Missile < 1,000 km
MRBM - Medium Range Ballistic Missile 1,000-2,500 km
IRBM - Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile 2,500-3,500 km
LRICBM - Limited Range Intercontinental Ballistic Missile 3,500-8,000 km
FRICBM - Full Range Intercontinental Ballistic Missile 8,000-12,000 km

Many of the ranges suggested for the yet-to-fly missile systems are based on mathematical models relying on what little data has been made public. Typically, these studies put out by the intelligence community over-estimate the performance of the actual missile systems. These studies do, however, give a range of possibilities as to what to look for once they are flown. In addition, none of the above listed strategic systems achieve true FRICBM capability. They fall far short of that kind of performance. Those strategic systems are based on MRBM & IRBM technology. In order to achieve FRICBM capability, clustering these systems would be required (in a method similar to that used by the Soviets on the R-7/SS-6 ICBM) or an entirely new system design would have to be developed. Clustering these systems very difficult or impossible because of their design characteristics. As of this writing, there is no indication that such new long term development exists, but this does not mean that it will not appear in the future. Only the United States, Russia and China have missiles with this range capability.





RESOURCES



FAS | Nuke | Guide | Iran |||| Search |


http://www.fas.org/nuke/guide/iran/missile/
Created by Charles P. Vick
Maintained by Steven Aftergood