Iran Press/ Iran News: Here is what we should know about Qaem smart bombs:
Overview
Qaem Smart Glider Bombs is a set of three miniature smart bombs produced and supplied by the Ministry of Defense of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
This bomb has an infrared seeker mode that enables it to engage with fixed and moving targets at night and day and in bad weather.
The small warhead and high accuracy make it possible to use these ammunitions even when friendly forces or civilians are close to the intended target and there is no need to worry about collateral casualties.
Qaem-1 smart bomb was unveiled for the first time on February 5th, 2018, and the opening ceremony of the Mohajer-6 UAV production line. This bomb was observed with two visible (television) and thermal-optical seekers.
Qaem-5 and Qaem-9 smart bombs were also unveiled in a ceremony on August 6th, 2019, in the presence of then Defense Minister, Brigadier-General Amir Hatami.
The minimum operational altitude of these bombs is 4 to 10 thousand feet (1,219 to 3,048 meters) and their range is 12 to 40 kilometers. The meaning of the "minimum operational altitude" of Qaem bombs is that if these bombs are launched below this altitude (below 1,219 meters), they will not be able to glide and will quickly fall towards the targets.
These bombs can use different penetrating and shrapnel warheads with different ranges and various destructive power.
Qaem-5 Smart Glider Bomb
In the Baghdad defense exhibition, some specifications of Qaem-1 and Qaem-5 bombs were displayed.
The Qaem-5 bomb can be installed on the fighter, and if it is released at a high altitude, a range of up to 20 kilometers can be considered.
The seekers in Qaem-5 are visual or optical (TV), thermal (IR), laser and a combination of optical and laser. Using all kinds of seekers in Qaem-5 allows operations to be carried out with great accuracy and in all weather conditions.
Qaem-5 specifications
Length: 108 cm
Diameter: 15.2 cm
Type of seeker: (TV), thermal (IR), laser, a combination of optics and laser
Warhead type: fragmentation
Fuse type: Programmable and timed
Warhead weight: 8.5 kg
Total weight: 20 kg
Range: 12 to 20 km based on the release altitude (in the unknown type of Qaem-5, its range can be increased up to 40 km)
Qaem-1 Smart Glider Bomb
This bomb is another member of the Qaem bomb family and was made due to the need for a light bomb to be carried by lightweight drones. It seems that the ratio of wings to the fuselage in Qaem-1 is slightly higher than Qaem-5, but it probably has a range equivalent to Qaem-5, i.e., 12 km if released from an altitude of 5 km and a range of 20 km if released from a high altitude. The minimum release height for this bomb is 4,000 feet or 1,219 meters.
Qaem-1 specifications
Length: 90 cm
Diameter: 12.5 cm
Seeker type: Visual (TV), thermal (IR), laser, a combination of optical and laser
Warhead type: fragmentation, incendiary, direct impact (kinetic energy)
Fuse type: programmable and timed
Warhead weight: 1.5 kg
Total weight: 12.5 kg
Announced range: 12 to 20 km
Qaem-9 Smart Glider Bomb
Qaem series bombs have been widely seen on all kinds of Iranian drones, but so far, no pictures of installed Qaem-9 have been seen. Qaem-9 has not been exhibited in any exhibition and very few images of it are available.
Although the dimensions of Qaem-9 are not available, it obviously has the same diameter as the Qaem-5, i.e., 152 mm. By examining the available images, a significant increase in the length of the bomb can be seen. According to the investigations, the length of this bomb should be around 150 cm.
The range of this bomb can be estimated to be 20 km if released from an altitude of 5 km and 40 km if fired from a fighter, i.e., at an altitude of more than 8 km. It is also worth noting that Qaem-9 bombs cannot be dropped from an altitude of fewer than 3 kilometers.
Qaem-9 specifications
Length: 150 cm
Diameter: 15.2 cm
Seeker type: Visual (TV), thermal (IR), laser, a combination of optical and laser
Warhead type: fragmentation, incendiary, direct impact (kinetic energy) and thermobaric
Fuse type: programmable and timed
Warhead weight: 8 to 15 kg
Total weight: 30 kg
Range: 20 to 40 kilometers based on release altitude
Unknown member of Qaem family
A kind of smart bomb from the Qaem family was showcased in the exhibition of achievements of the Self-Sufficiency Jihad Organization of the Iranian Navy on December 14th, 2021, which has much larger than other members of this family. It seems that the diameter of this bomb is the same as other bombs, but its length has increased. The dimensions of the wings have also increased significantly. This unknown bomb definitely has more weight and range, but there is no detailed information about it.
Possible specifications of the unknown smart bomb of the Qaem family
Length: 150 cm
Diameter: 15.2 cm
Searcher type: Visual (TV), thermal (IR), laser, a combination of optical and laser
Warhead type: fragmentation, incendiary, direct impact (kinetic energy) and thermobaric
Fuse type: Programmable and timed
Warhead weight: 8 to 15 kg
Total weight: 30 kg
Range: 20 to 40 kilometers based on the release altitude
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