Iran Press/ Iran news: The two features of 'knowledge-based' and 'indigenousness' have led to the development of Iran's missile capability in the last three decades, and today it has reached such a level that a wide range of ballistic missiles is available to the Iranian Armed Forces.
One of these advanced and precise ballistic missiles is 'Zolfaqar', whose efficiency and accuracy was proved in 'Laylat al-Qadr' and 'Strike of Muharram' operations of the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC).
Overview
Zolfaqar is one of the ballistic missiles designed and produced by the Aerospace Industries Organization (AIO).
It was unveiled on September 21, 2016, at the annual parade of the Armed Forces in Bandar Abbas, and its mass production line was unveiled four days later on September 25.
Zolfaqar missile is a tactical, precise, and short-range surface-to-surface ballistic missile with solid fuel with anti-jamming capability.
It is an upgraded version of the fourth generation 'Fateh-110' missile, but in the tactical category, expanded in length, diameter, range, and weight of the warhead.
By comparing the length of the Fateh-110 missile with Zolfaqar on the test platform and noting the location of the missile guidance wings relative to the launch pad, it can be seen that the new missile increased in length in the propulsion area before the guidance and control block.
Moreover, there is a difference in the arrangement of the guiding components in the missile. In fact, in the Zolfaqar missile, the control wings have been moved to the rear of the guidance, control, and navigation block.
The nose shape of the Zolfaqar missile has also changed from a pointed state to a curved state.
The Zolfaqar missile, with a length of about 10 meters and a speed of about 1.5 kilometers per second, can track and destroy all its targets up to a range of about 750 kilometers. The accuracy of this missile is very high, and its error is estimated at 10 meters.
The engine of this missile is a single-stage engine and can increase the speed to 5 times the speed of sound. This means that Zolfaqar is in the category of ultrasonic missiles and makes it very difficult to be intercepted by anti-missile systems.
Iran currently uses composite propulsion in the Fateh-110 family of missiles, including the Zolfaqar, which is a significant improvement over the original models, according to an analysis by the French 'Foundation for Strategic Research'.
It seems that Iranian engineers have made significant progress in the field of solid fuel propulsion. If the Fateh and Zolfaqar missiles are fired in large numbers, they can put the Iranians at a higher level in tactics and operations.
Features
Zulfiqar precise missile has a powerful solid-fuel engine and a dual launcher. This anti-radar missile's launch platform is mobile. It can destroy targets up to 750 km away.
This ballistic missile is equipped with a detachable warhead of 500 kg. This warhead model has benefits such as increasing the missile range, reducing the possibility of being tracked and reducing the possibility of being hit by enemy defense missiles.
With a trapezoidal design, the control wings are located in the rear of the guidance, control, and navigation block. The shape of its nose is curved, and the missile control wing area is circular.
The stabilizing wings of Zolfaqar have sharp edges at the rear of the fuselage, indicating that this part of the missile will not accompany the warhead when it hits the target.
The missile can detach warheads, which in this respect acts similar to medium and long-range ballistic missiles. This reduces the negative effects of connecting the fuselage to the warhead in the final phase of the attack on the missile range, reduces the possibility of being tracked and hit by enemy missiles.
Zolfaqar has an inertial and satellite guidance system that is resistant to any electronic warfare.
Due to its small size, it can be mounted on dual launchers, which means that it is an agile missile system that can be fired in a short time.
Operational history
Zolfaqar ballistic missile was used in two operations of the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps against terrorist forces, the first of which was Operation Laylat al-Qadr. The operation was carried out on the evening of Sunday, June 18, 2017. In this operation, the IRGC Aerospace Force targeted ISIS positions in Syria's Deir ez-Zor region (about 650 km away) from the IRGC Aerospace Force missile bases in Kermanshah and Kordestan Provinces.
The second one was Operation Strike of Muharram. Members of the ISIS terrorist outfit attacked a parade of armed forces in Ahvaz on September 22, 2018, killing and injuring several people. Nine days later, on the morning of Monday, October 1, 2018, during Operation Strike of Muharram, six missiles were fired from IRGC Aerospace missile bases in western Iran and targeted ISIS positions 570 km east of the Euphrates River in Syria.
Four of these missiles were Zolfaqar ballistic missiles, and two were Qiam missiles. Seven Simorgh UAV also took part in the operation.
'Zolfaqar Basir'; latest IRGC naval ballistic missile
IRGC Aerospace Force showcased its latest naval ballistic missile at the permanent exhibition of its products, which opened on September 27, 2020.
The missile called 'Zolfaqar Basir' is the newest missile of the next generation of the Persian Gulf missile.
The new missile, equipped with a warhead with an optical detector, probably has a range of more than 700 kilometers.
Previously, the Persian Gulf and Hormoz naval ballistic missiles had a range of about 300 and 250 kilometers.
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