The Shahab-3 ( fa, شهاب ۳, Šahâb 3; meaning "meteor-3") is a
liquid-propelled medium-range ballistic missile
A medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM) is a type of ballistic missile with medium range, this last classification depending on the standards of certain organizations. Within the U.S. Department of Defense, a medium-range missile is defined by ...
(MRBM) developed by
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
and based on the
North Korea
North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu River, Y ...
n
Nodong-1
The Hwasong-7 (; spelled Hwaseong-7 in South Korea, lit. Mars Type 7), also known as Nodong-1 (Hangul: ; Hanja: ), is a single-Staging (rocketry), stage, mobile Bipropellant rocket, liquid propellant medium-range ballistic missile developed by Nort ...
.
The Shahab-3 has a range of ; a
MRBM
A medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM) is a type of ballistic missile with medium range, this last classification depending on the standards of certain organizations. Within the U.S. Department of Defense, a medium-range missile is defined b ...
variant can now reach (can hit targets as far as Israel, Egypt, Romania, Bulgaria and Greece). It was tested from 1998 to 2003 and added to the military arsenal on 7 July 2003, with an official unveiling by Ayatollah
Khamenei
Sayyid Ali Hosseini Khamenei ( fa, سید علی حسینی خامنهای, ; born 19 April 1939) is a Twelver Shia ''marja and the second and current Supreme Leader of Iran, in office since 1989. He was previously the third president o ...
on July 20. With an accuracy of 140 m
CEP, the Shahab-3 missile is primarily effective against large, soft targets (like military airfields). Given the Shahab-3’s payload capacity, it would likely be capable of delivering nuclear warheads. According to the
IAEA
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is an intergovernmental organization that seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy and to inhibit its use for any military purpose, including nuclear weapons. It was established in 1957 ...
, Iran in the early 2000s may have explored various fuzing, arming and firing systems to make the Shahab-3 more capable of reliably delivering a nuclear warhead.
The forerunners to this missile include the
Shahab-1
The Shahab-1 ( fa, شهاب ۱, Ŝahāb 1, meaning "Meteor-1") was the foundation of the short-range Iranian missile program. During the Iran–Iraq War, Iran purchased R-17 Elbrus missiles from Libya, Syria and North Korea (Hwasong-5). It is a cl ...
and
Shahab-2
The Shahab-2 ( fa, شهاب ۲, Ŝahāb 2, meaning "Meteor-2") is the successor to the Iranian Shahab-1 missile. It is based on the North Korean Hwasong-6 (modified version of the Hwasong-5, itself a modification of the R-17 Elbrus).
On November ...
. In 2007, the then-
Iranian Defence Minister Admiral Shamkhani has denied that Iran plans to develop a
Shahab-4
The Shahab-4 ( fa, شهاب ۴, meaning "Meteor-4") (a.k.a. IRIS) was an unbuilt Iranian rocket, derived from the Shahab-3 medium-range ballistic missile. According to Iran it was intended to be a space launch vehicle, after a slip by the Defense ...
. Some
successors to the Shahab have longer range and are also more maneuverable.
Operating under the Sanam Industrial Group (Department 140), which is part of the
Defense Industries Organization
''Sâzmân-e Sanâye'-e Defâ'-e Jomhuri-ye Eslâmi-ye Iran''
, type = State-owned company
, location =
, industry = Defense
, predecessor =
, foundation =
, founder =
, hq_location_city = Tehran
, hq_location_country = Iran
, num_lo ...
of Iran, the
Shahid Hemmat Industrial Group
''Shaheed'' ( , , ; pa, ਸ਼ਹੀਦ) denotes a martyr in Islam. The word is used frequently in the Quran in the generic sense of "witness" but only once in the sense of "martyr" (i.e. one who dies for his faith); ...
(SHIG), led the development of the Shahab missile.
In 2019, the US
Defense Intelligence Agency
The Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) is an intelligence agency and combat support agency of the United States Department of Defense, specializing in defense and military intelligence.
A component of the Department of Defense (DoD) and the I ...
described the Shahab 3 as "the mainstay of Iran’s MRBM force".
[https://www.dia.mil/Portals/110/Images/News/Military_Powers_Publications/Iran_Military_Power_LR.pdf ] US Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...
National Air and Space Intelligence Center
The National Air and Space Intelligence Center (NASIC) is the United States Air Force unit for analyzing military intelligence on foreign air and space forces, weapons, and systems. NASIC assessments of aerospace performance characteristics, ca ...
estimates that as of June 2017 fewer than 50 launchers were operationally deployed.
Shahab-3 missiles are considered as obsolete and are being progressively changed for their more recent upgrades of Shahab family missiles such as the
Ghadr-110H and
Emad missile.
Variants
Shahab is the name of a class of loosely related Iranian missiles, service time of 1988–present, which comes in six variants:
Shahab-1
The Shahab-1 ( fa, شهاب ۱, Ŝahāb 1, meaning "Meteor-1") was the foundation of the short-range Iranian missile program. During the Iran–Iraq War, Iran purchased R-17 Elbrus missiles from Libya, Syria and North Korea (Hwasong-5). It is a cl ...
,
Shahab-2
The Shahab-2 ( fa, شهاب ۲, Ŝahāb 2, meaning "Meteor-2") is the successor to the Iranian Shahab-1 missile. It is based on the North Korean Hwasong-6 (modified version of the Hwasong-5, itself a modification of the R-17 Elbrus).
On November ...
, Shahab-3,
Shahab-4
The Shahab-4 ( fa, شهاب ۴, meaning "Meteor-4") (a.k.a. IRIS) was an unbuilt Iranian rocket, derived from the Shahab-3 medium-range ballistic missile. According to Iran it was intended to be a space launch vehicle, after a slip by the Defense ...
,
Shahab-5 Shahab-5 ( fa, شهاب ۵, meaning "Meteor-5") is Iranian long-range ballistic missile, that was rumoured to exist as early as 1998. Estimated to be based on the North Korean Taepodong-2 with a first stage based on the Soviet RD-0216. Potential ran ...
, and
Shahab-6 Shahab-6 ( fa, شهاب ۶, meaning "Meteor-6", or Toghyân, Persian: ) is the designation of an alleged Iranian long-range ballistic missile project.
Capabilities
According to reports released in 1996, the missile has a range of about 14,000 kilo ...
.
Shahab-3A
The range of the Shahab-3A is about 1,500 kilometers.
According to the New York Times, the Shahab-3A was no longer in production as of 2008.
Shahab-3B
![Shahab-3 Range](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cb/Shahab-3_Range.jpg)
The Shahab-3B differs from the basic production variant. It has improvements to its guidance system and warhead with a greater range, a few small changes on the missile body, and a new re-entry vehicle whose terminal guidance system and rocket-nozzle steering method are completely different from the Shahab-3A's spin-stabilized re-entry vehicle.
The new re-entry vehicle uses a triconic aeroshell geometry (or "baby bottle" design) which improves the overall
lift to drag ratio
In aerodynamics, the lift-to-drag ratio (or L/D ratio) is the lift generated by an aerodynamic body such as an aerofoil or aircraft, divided by the aerodynamic drag caused by moving through air. It describes the aerodynamic efficiency under give ...
for the re-entry vehicle. This allows greater range maneuverability which can result in better precision. The triconic design also reduces the overall size of the warhead from an estimated to .
The rocket-nozzle control system allows the missile to change its trajectory several times during re-entry and even terminal phase, effectively preventing interceptor guidance via trajectory prediction by early warning radar—a method nearly all long range
ABM systems use. As a high-speed ballistic missile and pre-mission fueling capability, the Shahab-3 has an extremely short launch/impact time ratio. This means that the
INS INS or Ins or ''variant'', may refer to:
Places
* Ins, Switzerland, a municipality
* Creech Air Force Base (IATA airport code INS)
* Indonesia, ITF and UNDP code INS
Biology
*'' Ins'', a New World genus of bee flies
* INS, the gene for the insul ...
/gyroscope guidance would also remain relatively accurate until impact (important, given the fact that the gyroscopes tend to lose accuracy with longer flights). The
CEP is estimated to be at or less. However, the accuracy of the missile is largely speculative and cannot be confidently predicted for wartime situations.
These improvements would increase the Shahab-3B's survivability against ABM systems such as Israel's
Arrow 2 missile defence system (though its ability to overcome Arrow is very questionable) as well as being used for precision attacks against high-value targets such as command, control, and communications centres.
Shahab-3C and D
Little is known about Shahab-3C and Shahab-3D. From what can be gathered, the missiles have an improved precision, navigation system, and a longer range. The missiles were indigenously developed, and are being mass-produced. Iran had in 2008 a production capacity of 70 units per year.
Galleries
File:shahab_3_engine.jpg, Shahab 3 engine
File:Islamic Republic of Iran Army Day, 2010 (10).jpg, With truck-mounted launcher, 2010 Military Day Parade
File:Shahab-3.svg, Artist's conception
File:Shahab_3_MRBM.png, Artist's conception
File:Shahab 3 MRBM.jpg, Artist's conception
History and tests
The Shahab-3 was first seen in public on 25 September 1998, in
Azadi Square
The Azadi Square ( fa, میدان آزادی, translit=Meydāne Āzādī, lit=Freedom Square), formerly known as Shahyad Square ( Persian: میدان شهیاد ''Meydāne Ŝahyād'' literally means "''Remembrance of heShah Square''"), is a mai ...
,
Tehran
Tehran (; fa, تهران ) is the largest city in Tehran Province and the capital of Iran. With a population of around 9 million in the city and around 16 million in the larger metropolitan area of Greater Tehran, Tehran is the most popul ...
, in a parade held to commemorate the
Iranian Sacred Defence Week.
Iran has conducted at least six test flights of the Shahab-3. During the first one, in July 1998, the missile reportedly exploded in mid-air during the latter portion of its flight; U.S. officials wondered whether the test was a failure or the explosion was intentional. A second, successful test took place in July 2000.
In September 2000, Iran conducted a third test, in which the missile reportedly exploded shortly after launch. In May 2002, Iran conducted another successful test, leading then-Iranian Defense Minister
Ali Shamkhani
Ali Shamkhani (Persian: , born 29 September 1955) is an Iranian two-star general. He is the secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran.
Early life and education
Shamkhani was born on 29 September 1955 in Ahvaz, Khuzestan. His f ...
to say the test improved the Shahab-3's "power and accuracy". Another successful test reportedly occurred in July 2002. On 7 July 2003, the foreign ministry spokesman said that Iran had completed a final test of the Shahab 3 "a few weeks ago" that was "the final test before delivering the missile to the armed forces", according to a ''
New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'' report.
On 9 November 2004, Shamkhani said Iran could mass-produce the missile.
On 2 November 2006, Iran fired unarmed missiles to begin 10 days of military
war games
A wargame is a strategy game in which two or more players command opposing armed forces in a realistic simulation of an armed conflict. Wargaming may be played for recreation, to train military officers in the art of strategic thinking, or to s ...
. Iranian state television reported "dozens of missiles were fired including
Shahab-2
The Shahab-2 ( fa, شهاب ۲, Ŝahāb 2, meaning "Meteor-2") is the successor to the Iranian Shahab-1 missile. It is based on the North Korean Hwasong-6 (modified version of the Hwasong-5, itself a modification of the R-17 Elbrus).
On November ...
and Shahab-3 missiles. The missiles had ranges from to up to ...Iranian experts have made some changes to Shahab-3 missiles installing cluster
warhead
A warhead is the forward section of a device that contains the explosive agent or toxic (biological, chemical, or nuclear) material that is delivered by a missile, rocket, torpedo, or bomb.
Classification
Types of warheads include:
* Explosiv ...
s in them with the capacity to carry 1,400 bombs". These launches come after some
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
-led military exercises in the
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf ( fa, خلیج فارس, translit=xalij-e fârs, lit=Gulf of Persis, Fars, ), sometimes called the ( ar, اَلْخَلِيْجُ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Khalīj al-ˁArabī), is a Mediterranean sea (oceanography), me ...
on 30 October 2006, meant to train for blocking the transport of
weapons of mass destruction
A weapon of mass destruction (WMD) is a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, or any other weapon that can kill and bring significant harm to numerous individuals or cause great damage to artificial structures (e.g., buildings), natura ...
.
2008 Great Prophet III test
![Great Prophet IV (16)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/75/Great_Prophet_IV_%2816%29.jpg)
On 8 July 2008, Iran test fired a non-upgraded version of the Shahab-3 as one of 9 medium- and long-range missiles launched as part of the
Great Prophet III
Great Prophet III (Payambar-e Azam 3; fa, پیامبر اعظم 3) was an Iranian missile test and war games exercise, conducted by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards. It began in the early morning of 9 July 2008, when Iran claimed nine missiles ...
exercise, within a few weeks of a recently concluded military exercise by Israel.
Other missiles fired include the surface-to-surface
Fateh-110
The Fateh-110 ( fa, فاتح-۱۱۰ "conqueror"), also known as NP-110 is an Iranian solid-fueled surface-to-surface ballistic missile produced by Iran's Aerospace Industries Organization since 2002. It is single-stage, road-mobile and can carr ...
and
Zelzal Zelzal ( fa, زلزال-۱, meaning "Earthquake") is a series of artillery rockets developed by Iran. The series consists of:
*Zelzal-1, with an estimated range of
*Zelzal-2, with an estimated range of
*Zelzal-3, with an estimated range of
Thes ...
missiles.
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC; fa, سپاه پاسداران انقلاب اسلامی, Sepāh-e Pāsdārān-e Enghelāb-e Eslāmi, lit=Army of Guardians of the Islamic Revolution also Sepāh or Pasdaran for short) is a branch o ...
air and naval units conducted these tests in a desert location. Air Force commander Hossein Salami advised that Iran was ready to retaliate to military threats, saying "We warn the enemies who intend to threaten us with military exercises and empty psychological operations that our hand will always be on the trigger and our missiles will always be ready to launch".
One day later, on 9 July 2008, Iran once-again fired a version of the Shahab-3, amongst other missiles, which officials have said has a range of and is armed with a 1-ton conventional warhead. These tests were conducted at the
Strait of Hormuz
The Strait of Hormuz ( fa, تنگه هرمز ''Tangeh-ye Hormoz'' ar, مَضيق هُرمُز ''Maḍīq Hurmuz'') is a strait between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. It provides the only sea passage from the Persian Gulf to the ...
, which Iran has threatened to shut down traffic into if it is attacked. Independent national security webblog, ArmsControlWonk.com, analyzed Iranian launch footage and concluded that Iranian claims of testing an upgraded Shahab missile were unfounded. A senior Republican Guard commander said Iran would maintain security in the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf.
Gen.
The Book of Genesis (from Greek language, Greek ; Hebrew language, Hebrew: בְּרֵאשִׁית ''Bəreʾšīt'', "In hebeginning") is the first book of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Old Testament. Its Hebrew name is the same as its i ...
Mohammad Hejazi
Mohammad Hossein-Zadeh Hejazi ( fa, محمد حسینزاده حجازی, 20 January 1956 – 18 April 2021) was a military commander in Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Early life and education
Hejazi was born in Isfahan in 1956. He ...
, chief of the Guards' joint staff, called the missile tests a "defensive measure against invasions". He also said, Iran will not jeopardize the interests of neighboring countries. According to the Israeli newspaper ''
Haaretz
''Haaretz'' ( , originally ''Ḥadshot Haaretz'' – , ) is an Israeli newspaper. It was founded in 1918, making it the longest running newspaper currently in print in Israel, and is now published in both Hebrew and English in the Berliner f ...
'', the French news agency
Agence France-Presse
Agence France-Presse (AFP) is a French international news agency headquartered in Paris, France. Founded in 1835 as Havas, it is the world's oldest news agency.
AFP has regional headquarters in Nicosia, Montevideo, Hong Kong and Washington, D.C ...
which published pictures from the missile test reported that "Iran had apparently doctored photographs of missile test-firings and exaggerated the capabilities of the weapons" and that an additional missile was added afterwards to cover up a failed launch".
In a sign of commercial fallout from the second missile test in two days, the French oil company
Total S.A.
TotalEnergies SE is a French multinational integrated energy and petroleum company founded in 1924 and one of the seven supermajor oil companies. Its businesses cover the entire oil and gas chain, from crude oil and natural gas exploration and ...
announced the conditions were not right to invest in Iran as major oil companies have been under increasing political pressure from the United States and its allies over their activities in Iran amid mounting tensions over Iran's nuclear program. To ratchet up the pressure further, Israel also showed off its latest spy plane in what is seen as a display of strength in response to Iranian war games (missile tests).
The test on 8 July 2008 caused anxiety, the tests were seen widely as a response to Israeli aerial war games staged earlier in the month. Ali Shirazi, representative of the Revolutionary Guards
naval forces
A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral zone, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and ...
said, warned that Iran would "set fire" to Israel and the U.S. Navy in the Persian Gulf as its first response to any pre-emptive strike by America or Israel over its nuclear program.
Brig. Gen.
Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...
Hoseyn Salami, commander of Iran's
Revolutionary Guards
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC; fa, سپاه پاسداران انقلاب اسلامی, Sepāh-e Pāsdārān-e Enghelāb-e Eslāmi, lit=Army of Guardians of the Islamic Revolution also Sepāh or Pasdaran for short) is a branch o ...
'
air force
An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an a ...
, said: "Our missiles are ready for shooting at any place and any time, quickly and with accuracy".
He also made the statement that "enemy targets are under surveillance".
Speaking on a visit to Malaysia on the first day of the tests,
Iranian President
The president of Iran ( fa, رئیسجمهور ایران, Rayis Jomhur-e Irān) is the head of government of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The president is the second highest-ranking official of Iran after the Supreme Leader.
The president i ...
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad ( fa, محمود احمدینژاد, Mahmūd Ahmadīnežād ), born Mahmoud Sabbaghian ( fa, محمود صباغیان, Mahmoud Sabbāghyān, 28 October 1956), dismissed the possibility of an attack by the United States or Israel as a "joke".
General
A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry.
In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...
Mohammad Hejazi
Mohammad Hossein-Zadeh Hejazi ( fa, محمد حسینزاده حجازی, 20 January 1956 – 18 April 2021) was a military commander in Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Early life and education
Hejazi was born in Isfahan in 1956. He ...
, chief of the Guards' joint staff, called the missile tests a "defensive measure against invasions". He also said that Iran will not jeopardize the interests of neighboring countries.
The US government says that the Shahab-3 is "generally" less accurate than the
Fateh-110
The Fateh-110 ( fa, فاتح-۱۱۰ "conqueror"), also known as NP-110 is an Iranian solid-fueled surface-to-surface ballistic missile produced by Iran's Aerospace Industries Organization since 2002. It is single-stage, road-mobile and can carr ...
.
Operators
Current operators
*
**
See also
*
Military of Iran
The Islamic Republic of Iran Armed Forces, are the combined military forces of Iran, comprising the Islamic Republic of Iran Army (''Arteš''), the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (''Sepâh'') and the Law Enforcement Force (Police).
Iran ...
*
Iranian military industry
Iran's military industry manufactures and exports various types of arms and military equipment. Iran's military industry, under the command of Iran's Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces Logistics, is composed of the following main components:
S ...
*
Equipment of the Iranian Army
This page includes weapons used by both the Ground Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran Army and the Ground Forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
From 1925 to the Iranian Revolution in 1979, Iran was primarily equipped with Wester ...
References
External links
Shahab-3: an Advanced IRBM*
ttp://missilethreat.csis.org/missile/shahab-3/ Missile Threat CSIS - Shahab 3br>
Missile Threat CSIS - Shahab 3 Variants (Emad, Ghadr)(login required)
Russia and the Development of the Iranian Missile ProgramÍrán - Námořní cvičenívisual comparison of Shahab-3B and Fajr-3
Janes Defence Weekly Volume 43 and Issue 37 Iran's ballistic missile developments - long-range ambitions
{{Iran Missiles
Ballistic missiles of Iran
Surface-to-surface missiles of Iran
Medium-range ballistic missiles of Iran
Theatre ballistic missiles
Military equipment introduced in the 2000s