Typhoon wrote:Both of the above are cruise missiles while Irans new missile is a ballistic one (plus Russia never exported Bazalt or Granit), based on the Fatah missile but with an optical homing head reportedly. Absoluterly right though, ballistic missiles are far from undetectable though its an up and coming threat for navies...
I checked and stand corrected on the Bazalt and Granite having been exported..they haven't. But the Russians have exported and will export the P-800 but its unlikely that Russia will export that critter to Iran since they
halted the sale of the S-300 that the Iranians had the hots for awhile back. P-800 users Ru, Vietnam, Syria(soon) and India wont sell their P_800 based PJ-10 BrahMos to Iran either. I guess they had to do something to replace their aging shore defense missiles.
Are you talking about this missile as the basis for the new Iranian missile?Fateh A-110
Country: Iran
Associated Country: China, Syria, North Korea
Alternate Name: Mershad; Zelzal-2 variant
Class: SRBM
Basing: Road mobile
Length: 8.86 m
Diameter: 0.61 m
Launch Weight: 3450 kg
Payload: Single warhead, 500 kg
Warhead: HE, chemical, submunitions
Propulsion: Single-stage solid
Range: 210 km
Status: Operational
In Service: 2004
Details
The Fateh A-110 is a short-range, road-mobile, solid-propellant ballistic missile. It is most likely a modified version of the unguided Zelzal-2, with the addition of control and guidance systems.1 The Fateh A-110 is designed to replace many of the aging Scud systems currently used in the Middle East. While the program is based in Iran, the missile is believed to incorporate components from Chinese contractors. In 2006 the US Department of the Treasury accused Great Wall Industry, a Chinese Corporation and its partners for playing a lead role in the development of the Fateh missile system.2
Iran began developing the Fateh A-110 in 1995. Sources indicate that the missile is 8.86 m long, 0.61 m in diameter, and weighs 3,450 kg. It uses a single-stage solid propellant engine and has a range of 210 km (130 miles), although it is possible that Iran will add extra boosters in order to increase its range to 400 km (249 miles). The missile might be as accurate as 100 m CEP using a combination of inertial guidance and a Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) system, though some sources suggest that the accuracy is much lower, as they do not think that the missile is capable of much inflight maneuvering or correction. Iranian sources claim that the weapon has a high degree of accuracy, a claim that would suggest inflight control systems that are not apparent from photos of the missile. It can carry a payload of some 500 kg and is most likely intended to deliver only high explosive, chemical, or submunitions warheads.
Speculation.An interesting idea but probably less of a threat than any of the wave riding CM's I mentioned. Being a ballistic missile it probably has a high trajectory and is thus easier to detect and engage than a Brahmos or P_800 Oinks. However they could by beefing up the propulsion section considerably fire it along a depressed trajectory to shorten its flight time and vulnerability to interceptor missiles. If what you say is true then they've added the ability to make course corrections after the warhead/terminal guidance/maneuvering package separates from the propulsion section. I would however imagine that the Mach 8 RIM-161 SM-3 ABM/ASAT missiles deployed on Arleigh Burke class destroyers and I believe Ticonderoga class cruisers could handle it. I am also sure that Russia's sea based Mach 8.5, S-300FM (SA-N-20) is capable of intercepting the new Iranian missile (similar capability to the US RIM-161 except the SS-N-20 has the capability to intercept super sonic waver riding missiles as well).