Iran 'increases missile range'

[yasin_khan]

Iran has missiles with a range of 2,000 km, a former president and one of the country's most influential politicians has said.
Hashemi Rafsanjani's comments came in a speech to the Aerospace Research Institute in Tehran, and were reported by the Iranian news agency.

Correspondents say this is a substantial addition to the previously announced range of Iranian missiles.

It would bring Israel easily within range of Iran's ballistic missiles.

Iran maintains that it would only use its missiles in self-defence.

Mr Rafsanjani said Iranian experts could now achieve "all subsequent stages" in the missile production process.

New missile test

In August, Iran was reported to have test-fired a new version of its Shahab-3 missile. The old version was known to have a range of 1,296km (about 800 miles).
Mr Rafsanjani remains among the most influential conservative politicians in Iran, and is believed to have been the architect of Iran's nuclear programmes.

President for two terms from 1989-97, he is currently chairman of the powerful Expediency Council, as well as a deputy chairman of the Assembly of Experts.

Though he was, in Iranian terms, pro-Western as a president, Mr Rafsanjani has been more closely associated with the conservative or hardline camp in recent years.

Israeli worries

Mr Rafsanjani's assertion comes at a time of increased tension regarding Iran's nuclear programme.
The Israelis say they are concerned, not simply about signs of Iran's growing military potential, but about Iran's belligerent manner.

The chief of Israeli military intelligence says Iran could be six months from being able to produce a nuclear weapon.

But Iran insists it has only peaceful nuclear intentions.

The BBC's David Bamford says its statements about missile capabilities are being seen as a response to speculation that Israel might take direct action if the Iranians get close to acquiring nuclear capabilities of any sort.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3716490.stm

 

[yasin_khan]

Iran Adds To International Worries with New Missile

Iran declared Oct. 5 it had ballistic missiles with a range of 2,000 kilometers (1,240 miles) and could produce ones with a greater range, an announcement likely to add to international concerns over its weapons capabilities.

"Today, we have the power to send our missiles up to 2,000 kilometers, and experts know that once a country has made such a step, all further steps are accessible," former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani was quoted as saying by the official news agency IRNA.

Steady progress made by Iran’s ballistic missile program is a major cause for concern for the international community, already alarmed over the country’s suspect nuclear activities.
We have today the ballistic technology and if we had not limited our progress, we would have been even more advanced," Rafsanjani told a conference on "Space and National Security".

"With this ballistic power, we can today speak of an independent satellite launch and we should seek the technology to make our own satellites," he added, saying Iran was "at the door of the club of countries having satellite technology."

Iran has previously announced it hopes to launch its first satellite, for telecommunications, in 2005.

On Aug. 11, Iran tested an upgraded version of its Shahab-3 missile. Previous figures had put the missile’s range at between 1,300 and 1,700 kilometers, already bringing arch enemy Israel and US bases in the region well within range.

After the latest test, Israeli news reports put the range of the new Shahab-3 -- believed to be based on a North Korean design -- at 2,000 kilometers.

And during a military parade last month, Iran showed off its array of ballistic missiles draped in banners vowing to "crush America" and "wipe Israel off the map".

"The Shahab-3 missiles, with its different ranges, enables us to destroy the most distant targets," said an official commentary accompanying the parade.

While the country has announced it has upgraded the Shahab-3, it has denied it is working on a Shahab-4 -- a device that would involve a two-stage propulsion system and possibly bring European capitals within range.

But such assertions have failed to ease alarm among many European officials, and last week the government said it was being deliberately ambiguous over its missile capability.

That comment came after Defense Minister Ali Shamkhani told state-run television that the Iranian army had taken delivery of a new "strategic missile" and that the weapon, unnamed for security reasons, had been successfully tested.

Iran insists the Shahab-3 is simply a deterrent, while Israel charges that the Islamic state could have a nuclear warhead by 2007.

Israeli alarm has led to speculation that the Jewish state -- currently believed to be the only nuclear-armed nation in the Middle East -- may launch a pre-emptive strike against Iran’s nuclear facilities.

But Rafsanjani, who now heads the Expediency Council -- Iran’s top political arbitration body -- dismissed such a threat.

"The United States and the Zionist regime are our enemies, but given their past experience, the United States knows that they should not engage themselves in a dangerous conflict with us," he said.


http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?F=388506&C=mideast

 

[yasin_khan]

Iran To Further Improve Shahab-3 Missile


Iran intends to further improve its Shahab-3 missiles, which already have a claimed range of 2,000 kilometers (1,240 miles), a senior official was quoted as saying Oct. 7.

"The Shahab-3 missile has a range of 2,000 kilometers," Nasser Maleki, deputy director of Iran’s aerospace industry organization, was quoted as saying. "Very certainly we are going to improve our Shahab-3 missile and all of our other missiles."

When asked if Iran intended to produce longer-range ballistic missiles -- such as a Shahab-4 -- a device that would involve a two-stage propulsion system and possibly bring European capitals within range -- the official replied only that "we are at the level of the Shahab-3".

Steady progress made by Iran on its ballistic missile program is a major cause for concern for the international community, already alarmed over the country’s nuclear activities.

On Aug. 11, Iran tested an upgraded version of its Shahab-3 missile, which is believed to be based on a North Korean design. Previous figures had put the missile’s range at between 1,300 and 1,700 kilometers, already bringing arch enemy Israel and U.S. bases in the region well within range.

While the country has announced it has upgraded the Shahab-3, it has denied it is working on a Shahab-4.


http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?F=415773&C=mideast

 

[mysterious]

I guess time will tell what they come up with next; that is, if they are planning to in this regard. :smokingc:

 

[kashifshahzad]

what are their next plan? :?

 

[adsH]

theyr (Iran) Becoming aggresive, i hope pakistan knows what they are upto.

 

[ajay_ijn]

I believe Isreal has pinned all its hopes on systems like Arrow,Patriot and phalcon.
I think the basic Shahab-3 is a single stage Missile.
This Missile Might have two stages.

 

[highsea]

Shahab-3 is a single stage liquid propelled missile. There are fairly recent reports of Iran developing not one but two longer range missiles:

December 2, 2004 :: New York Times

Citing an Iranian opposition group, the New York Times today reports that Iran is secretly developing a ballistic missile of considerably longer-range than that which it currently admits to having, in part with the aid of North Korean scientists. The dissident group, also a terrorist group, says the new missile would have a range of more than 1,500 miles (2,400km). Iran has already tested versions of its Shahab-3/4 with a range of 2,000km. Such a range would give the terrorist sponsoring nation the capability to target much of Europe.

Today the U.S. State Department also slapped sanctions on four Chinese entities (including one state-run firm) and one North Korean company, for their aiding Iran with its missile and weapons programs. Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs are not taking place in a vacuum, and their progress should come as no surprise. The proliferation of ballistic missile and weapons programs to Iran would seem to be a matter of high state policy for China and North Korea, as well as Russia, whose entities regularly receive similar sanctions and which is a primary contributor to Iran’s nuclear reactor programs.

Update: Dec. 3:

Other reports include a more detailed description of the report by the National Council of Resistance of Iran. The council is said to have identified not one, but two longer-range missiles under development, calling them Ghadr 101 and Ghadr 110. Their ranges are said to be 2,500 and 3,000km, respectively. Reuters compares these missiles, being developed at the Hemmat Missile Industries complex, to the more advanced Scud E. Also of note is that the council described Iran’s August test of a Shahab missile as being of the Shahab-4, rather than the Shahab-3. Some have speculated that Iran’s retaining the same nomenclature for a more advanced missile may be part of a design to understate its capabilities. Iran has only admitted to having or pursuing missiles with a range of no more than 2,000km.

The council quoted by Middle East Newsline on December 2 describes the range of the Shahab-4 as between 2,000 to 3,000 kilometers—which may well be possible, but a 3,000km range for the Shahab-4 would seem to undercut the claim that a 3,000km range Ghadr missile would constitute a real improvement.

http://www.missilethreat.com/missiles/shahab-3_iran.html

 

[Red aRRow]

Personally I think this threat is being hyped.

highsea the source you just quoted has this in the contents

The dissident group, also a terrorist group, says the new missile would have a range of more than 1,500 miles (2,400km). Iran has already tested versions of its Shahab-3/4 with a range of 2,000km. Such a range would give the terrorist sponsoring nation the capability to target much of Europe.

So now we have "terrorists" accusing "terrorists". :lolol

But seriously these just sound like the same tactics Washington used to hype up its case against Iraq by crying "wolf" about Iraq's non existent WMDs.

 

[highsea]

Red Arrow, I agree with you to a large extent. I put it up because it was related to the topic. The source has to be considered, but they have been right in the past wrt Natanz, so they do have a certain amount of credibility.

I have not forgetten the embarassment of the Chalabi affair, so I do not believe everything I hear from a dissident group. As you say, we have "terrorists" accusing "terrorists".

OTOH, I do not believe everything that comes out of Tehran either, as they have their agenda also. I do think that Iran has been accelerating their missile programs, and the claims by the NCRI shouldn't be automatically discarded. jmo, of course.

 

[Red aRRow]

Of course. It's probably a game being played by both sides. On the whole I think if Iran's nuclear program is contained in some sort of way by the U.S. then it would cease to be able to pose any significant threat to the U.S.....missiles or no missiles. But that's just my opinion.

 

[highsea]

True. Our number one concern seems to be the nuke program. The other being sponsorship of terrorist groups. Combine the two, and you have a recipe for trouble. A nuclear state sponsor of terror is the US's worst nightmare.

The US believes Iran will self reform from internal pressure. This is much more preferable to us that a war that will only serve to solidify the hard liners in power.

A few days ago Colin Powell sat next to the Iranian FM at a dinner. One of the things he talked about was the unemployment problem for young people in Iran. This goes straight to the heart of the terrorism problem as seen by the US. If the younger generation can see a future, they are much less likely to go the route of jihad.

The problem is to contain things long enough for reforms to take place. This looks more and more difficult each day. One thing is sure, if the US does attack Iran, the population will unite 100% against the US. The divisions between the reformists and hard liners will disappear in a puff of smoke.

Diplomacy and pressure from the EU is the only solution to the nuke issue in Iran. Without the nukes, the missiles become a non-threat.

 

[redsoulja]

well you can't do much to stop Iran form progressing her missile program, recently she has propped up a space program, which will allow her to legitamitely develop a missile capability, using the tech required to launch staellites into space, just a month or so ago they have planned their first satellite launch. if democracy does take root, i think iran will probably surpass pak in terms of missile tech.

 

[Majin-Vegeta]

[Admin Edit: Its nice to have you "back" but read the topic and reply appropriately.]