The
Iranian Oghab ( fa, عقاب, meaning "Eagle") sometimes spelled as Akab and Okab missile is an unguided 230 mm (9 in)
artillery rocket with a range of 34–45 km (20–28 mi). It is spin-stabilized in flight but has a proven
circular error probable
In the military science of ballistics, circular error probable (CEP) (also circular error probability or circle of equal probability) is a measure of a weapon system's precision. It is defined as the radius of a circle, centered on the mean, wh ...
in excess of 500 m (1,500 ft), making it a highly inaccurate weapon. It carries a 70 kg (150 lb)
high explosive fragmentation warhead, though it may also be able to carry
chemical warheads. According to US sources, a modified version has been developed that could be carried and fired from
Iranian Air Force F-14 Tomcat and
F-4 Phantom II
The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is an American tandem two-seat, twin-engine, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor and fighter-bomber originally developed by McDonnell Aircraft for the United States Navy.Swanborough and Bow ...
aircraft. The launcher is an elevatable triple-rail launcher assembly fitted to a
Mercedes-Benz LA 911B 4×4 truck chassis.
The missile was developed from the Chinese
Type-83 artillery rocket during the
Iran–Iraq War, with the assistance of the
People's Republic of China under an agreement signed in 1985. It entered service in 1986 and was immediately used in combat in an attack on the Iraqi city of
Basra in December 1986. Around 260–270 Oghabs were reportedly fired during the war, though their effectiveness was limited. The missile's short range confined its use to attacks on Iraqi border cities and its lack of accuracy meant that Oghab attacks were far less effective than artillery barrages.
The Oghab is used by the
Iranian Army and the
Revolutionary Guards. It is known to have been exported to Hezbollah. The
Houthi al-Najm al-Thaqib (missile)
The al-Najm al-Thaqib (Arabic:النجم الثاقب, "piercing star") is a Yemeni missile system developed by the Houthis and revealed on 26 May 2015. The Houthis claimed that these missiles could violate the blockade imposed by UN resolution ...
also shows similarities to the oghab missile.
References
* Anthony H. Cordesman. ''Iran's Military Forces in Transition: Conventional Threats and Weapons of Mass Destruction'', p. 296. Greenwood Publishing Group, 1999.
* Anthony H. Cordesman, Martin Kleiber. ''Iran's Military Forces and Warfighting Capabilities'', p. 60. Greenwood Publishing Group, 2007.
* "Aerospace Industries Organization 230 mm OGHAB artillery rocket system (Iran)". ''Jane's Armour and Artillery'', 2008.
External links
*
NTI: Country Overviews: Iran: Missile Capabilities. Nuclear Threat Initiative, February 2006.
{{Iran Missiles
Rocket artillery
Self-propelled artillery of Iran
230 mm artillery
Military equipment introduced in the 1980s