Iran Seeks Cruise Missile to Overcome U.S. Missile Defenses
March 11, 2004 :: Geostrategy-Direct :: News
Geostrategy-direct quotes U.S. officials as saying that in addition to its ballistic missile capabilities Iran is also developing a cruise missile designed to overcome potential defenses, such as the Patriot missile. The missile with a range of 300km and based on the Chinese HY-2, would be part of a multi-layered force to supplement such ballistic missiles as the Shahab 3 and Shahab 4. (Article, Link)
» More stories on: Iran, Proliferation
Iran Defiant; Will Continue to Enrich Uranium
March 10, 2004 :: Financial Times :: News
All too frequently, Americans hear that the only threat to the United States in the twenty-first century will come from terrorists. The reality, however, is that many nations continue to develop advances nuclear technologies despite UN sanctions and threats of suspended aid packages—and, in some cases, with the assistance of signatories to non-proliferation documents, such as Russia and China.
Despite U.S. protests, Iran continues to advance its uranium enrichment program that is capable of developing first-rate nuclear warheads. Officially, weapons technology is sold by Russia for use in civilian reactors but the degree of enrichment Iran has been trying to acquire is far more consistent with high yield nuclear weapons. Here, again, is yet another example that export controls and non-proliferation measures, while important and laudatory, may ultimately be insufficient in the absence of extraordinarily strong political will—and even in its presence. The former Soviet Union is a signatory of the 1968 Non-Proliferation Treaty, where it pledged “not in any way assist, encourage, or induce any non-nuclear-weapon state to manufacture or otherwise acquire nuclear weapons.” Such is the reliability of paper restrictions on proliferation.
Once completed, Iranian nuclear warheads might be deployed on the Shahab-6 ballistic missile, the longest-range missile Iran is believed to have in development, which is believed to be able to travel some 6,000km. That Iran continues to pursue long range missiles to complement its nascent nuclear warheads is clear, as illustrated by their recent announcement of their intention to extend the range of the Shahab-3. (Article, Link)
» Feb. 25, 2004: Iran upgrading range of Shahab-3
» Mar. 11, 2004: Russia opposes UN resolution against Iran
» More stories on: Iran, Proliferation
» Missile details: SS-1B 'Scud A'
Asst. Secretary of State for Arms Control: “Russia should do better”
March 4, 2004 :: News
Stephen Rademaker, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Arms Control, during his visit to Russia gave an interview published by the Russkii Kurier, where he indicated that Russia continues to contribute to the proliferation of ballistic missile systems and technology, here specifically in regard to Iran:
I informed my Russian colleagues that according to the information the US Department of State possesses, Iranian medium- and short-range missiles were equipped with Russian gear. It means that Russia should do better in implementing the treaty on nonproliferation of missile technologies. Russian colleagues assure me that Moscow sticks to the letter of the treaty and honors it, but I consider the matter open all the same.
Besides North Korea, Iran is the rogue state probably most likely to next develop long range ICBMs which could reach the United States. (More »»»)
» More stories on: Iran, Proliferation, Russia
Iran Upgrading Range of Shahab-3
February 25, 2004 :: Middle East Newsline :: News
Iran’s highly effective Shahab-3 will not only be marketed to other countries such as Syria, but will also be undergoing some significant enhancments to extend its range. The Shahab-3 currently reaches some 1,300km, but the improvements could extend that to 1,600km, according to the Middle East Newsline. The upgrades would, it is reported, substitute for Iran’s Shahab-4 development program. However, there are already indications that a form of the Shahab-4 has already been deployed and put into service in 2003. (Article, Link)
» Shahab-3 details
» Shahab-4 details
» More stories on: Iran, Proliferation, Technology
» Missile details: Shahab-6, Small ICBM
Tenet Testimony: North Korea Continues Ballistic Missile Advances
February 24, 2004 :: CIA :: News
Director of Central Intelligence George Tenet testified before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence as to the nature and extent of terrorism and the proliferation of ballistic missiles and weapons of mass destruction. In general, he noted that the “picture is changing before our eyes—-changing at a rate I have not seen since the end of the Cold War.” After noting the continued efforts of terrorists such as Al Qaeda to acquire ballistic missiles and WMDs, Tenet went on to roughly outline the major capabilities and proliferation activities of India, Pakistan, Syria, and Iran, but devoted particular attention to three “pivotal states” of concern: China, Russia, and North Korea. (More »»»)
» More stories on: China, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Proliferation, Russia, Syria, Terrorism
CIA Report on WMDs and Ballistic Missile Proliferation
November 10, 2003 :: CIA :: News
The CIA’s most recent intelligence estimate to Congress outlines the state of weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile capabilities in a number of “countries of concern,” as well as continued proliferation by Russia, China, and North Korea. (More »»»)
» More stories on: China, Iran, Iraq, Libya, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia
North Korea Shipped 400 SCUDs to Middle East
October 23, 2003 :: SpaceDaily :: News
A report released by the South Korean defense ministry claims that North Korea has shipped over 400 SCUD-class ballistic missiles to the Middle East since the 1980s. The biggest buyers were Iran, Iraq, Yemen, and Syria, but also include Egypt and Libya. Increasingly, the Communist government of North Korea continues to rely upon missile exports for its single largest source of currency. Sales have been estimated at around $500 million since the mid-80s. (Article, Link)
» World Tribune on NK missile sales
» More stories on: Iran, North Korea, Proliferation
» Missile details: Scud B variant, Sergeant, Shahab-3
Iran’s Successful Missile Tests Puts Israel Within Range
July 7, 2003 :: Ha'aretz :: News
Iran again successfully tested its Shahab-3 missile, with a range capable of striking Israel. This particular test, according to Ha’aretz, “was the most successful so far of the seven or eight tests of the missile over the last five years, and has increased worries in Washington - which spotted the test with its tracking mechanisms - and in Israel.” (Article, Link)
» More stories on: Iran, Proliferation, Testing - Foreign
» Missile details: Shahab-6
Libya Buying Iranian missiles
June 19, 2003 :: Ha'aretz
Libya is reportedly paying large sums to Iran to purchase versions of the Shahab-3 ballistic missile. Ha’aretz also notes that the Iranian government has sent ground-to-ground missile experts to aid in the development of the Libyan missile program. (Article, Link)
» More stories on: Iran, Libya, Proliferation
» Missile details: Shahab-6
Wolfowitz: Ship-Launched Missiles Threaten United States
October 24, 2002 :: Department of Defense :: News
Nearly one year to the day after Secretary of Defense Donald Romsfeld warned of a ship based launch of a ballistic missile as already having taken place by an unidentified “rogue state,” Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz similarly observed the salience of this type of threat:
While much of the discussion of the ballistic missile threat is focused on outlaw states developing long-range ballistic missiles that could reach our shores and those of our friends and allies, let me share with you another possibility. We know that North Korea, Iran and Iraq are developing long-range ballistic missiles. That is the familiar line of threat development. But what is to stop such countries from launching shorter-range ballistic missiles that they already possess today from cargo ships near our shores, perhaps using non-state terrorist surrogates to attack without fingerprints. It’s not a far-fetched threat. The United States test launched a captured German V-2 rocket from the deck of a ship in 1947. And recently we have observed indications of an outlaw state attempting to do the same thing with a short-range ballistic missile from a ship.
(More »»»)
» October 21, 2001: Rumsfeld: a rogue state has tested a ship-launched missile
» More stories on: Iran, Libya, North Korea, Proliferation, Ship-Launched Threat, Testing - Foreign
