| Country: |
Iran |
| Associated Country: |
North Korea |
| Class: |
ICBM |
| Payload: |
Single warhead |
| Warhead: |
Nuclear |
| Propulsion: |
Multi-stage liquid/solid |
| Range: |
6000 km |
| Status: |
Development |
Details
The Shahab-6 is the longer range of the new class of Iranian missiles being developed in conjunction with North Korea. Similar to the Shahab-5, the Shahab-6 is based on technology from the North Korean Taep'o-dong 2, which in turn is based on Chinese technology.
The Shahab-6 is a two or three-stage liquid/solid fuel rocket. The missile uses most of the same systems as the Shahab-5, but economies in weight and payload increase the range to approximately 6,000 km (3,728 miles). The missile is intended to carry one single warhead with a substantial yield, most likely in the area of 500-1,000 kg. As a result of its inaccuracy, the missile's utility it probably restricted to attacking population centers and spreading radiation rather than hitting military targets. Thus, the Shahab-6 is more likely a blackmail/terrorist weapon than a military asset.
The integration of technology from the Taep'o-dong 2 missile into the Shahab-5 represents a substantial security risk for the U.S. If its 6,000 km reported range is accurate, the Shahab-6 will be able to target most of Europe, Russia, and Asia. The United Kingdom, a staunch ally of the U.S., will be completely vulnerable to an attack, as will be a number of other key U.S. allies. In addition, the possibility exists that Iran will give or sell its missile technology to rogue states or terrorist groups antagonistic to the US. Iran's military is known to support terrorist groups and the Iranian government has little control over its own missile force.(1)
Footnotes
- Duncan Lennox, ed., Jane’s Strategic Weapons Systems 41 (Surrey: Jane’s Information Group, July 2004), 8-9; and Jane’s Strategic Weapons Systems 46, (Surrey: Jane’s Information Group, January 2007), 74; GlobalSecurity.org, “Shahab-6,” available at http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/world/iran/shahab-6.htm, accessed on 23 May 2005.
Rubin: Iran “Major Missile Power” in Region
November 30, 2006 :: UPI :: Analysis
Uzi Rubin, former head of Israel’s missile defense program, argues in a new study published by the Institute for National Security Studies that Iran is now “the major missile power” in the Middle East. “No other country in the world … comes close to Iran in the number and variety of ballistic missiles in development or already deployed,” Rubin writes. He lists Iran’s assets: Shahab-3 medium-range missiles, an “an indispensable complement to [Iran’s] nuclear ambitions”; Scud B and Scud C short-range missiles, manufactured “in considerable quantities”; Zelzal short-range missiles, which can target troop concentrations; the Raad, an advanced version of the Chinese Silkworm anti-ship cruise missile; and an assortment of smaller anti-tank missiles. “Every major city and military installation between the western shores of Turkey and the eastern border of Pakistan and between the Black Sea in the north and the southern narrows of the Red Sea are within range,” he writes. Moreover, Iran can now hit any point in the Middle East from well-protected, fixed silos “survivable against preemption.” He warns: “There should be no doubt that in case of conflict, Iran will launch Shahab-3 missiles regardless of their flight test record, and that some of them will reach their destinations.” Rubin adds that Iran is also developing satellites, and that any suitably modified space launch vehicle can serve as an intercontinental ballistic missile. At the rate they are going, “Iranian missiles will dominate the entire continent of Europe by the end of this decade,” he concludes. (Article, Link)
» More stories on: Israel, Iran, Analysis
» Missile details: Shahab-6, Scud variant, Scud B/C/D variants, Zelzal-1/2/3
Iran Parades Shahab-3 Missiles in Tehran
September 22, 2006 :: AP :: News
Iran held a large military parade on September 22, marking the twenty-sixth anniversary of the Iran-Iraq War. The procession took place in southern Tehran near the shrine of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the father of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, and included two medium-range Shahab-3 ballistic missiles. The Shahab-3 is believed to have a range of between 1,200 and 2,000 km, and is capable of targeting Israel, Turkey, the Indian subcontinent, and U.S. forces stationed in Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Persian Gulf. Zelzal 1 and Nazeat missiles were also present, as well as battle tanks. Iranian Vice President Parviz Davoodi oversaw the parade, standing in for President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad who was in New York to address the U.N. General Assembly. In his speech, Davoodi stated that Iran’s armed forces would fight back “like lightning” against any attack from the enemies. “We can defend our motherland and the Islam, we want peace but we tell the expansionists not to try to launch an aggression against Iran,” he said. Iran conducted a similar parade on September 22 last year. (Article, Link)
» More stories on: Iran
» Missile details: Shahab-6, Zelzal-1/2/3
Gaffney: Missiles Abroad Should Concentrate the American Mind
July 25, 2006 :: Washington Times :: Analysis
The development, deployment, and proliferation of ballistic missile technology abroad requires a “concentration” of American minds and a concerted effort to develop robust missile defenses, writes Frank J. Gaffney Jr., president of the Center for Security Policy, in The Washington Times. Gaffney catalogues the missile threats that have grown in recent years: North Korea’s readiness to sell missile technology to willing buyers; Pakistan’s intention to build as many as 40 to 50 nuclear warheads per year; Iran’s continued development of nuclear weapons and ballistic missile technology; China’s ever increasing missile arsenal; and Russia’s development of newer intercontinental ballistic missiles possibly with maneuverable re-entry vehicles.
Gaffney makes particular note of the fact that Iran has test launched a short-range Scud missile off of a ship, which would allow it to attack the U.S. without developing an intercontinental ballistic missile. He also points out that Iran has tested its medium-range Shahab-3 ballistic missile in a manner that appears designed to detonate a nuclear weapon in space. Such a detonation above the U.S. would result in an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) capable of wiping out electrical systems and crippling the U.S. infrastructure and economy.
Gaffney suggests that the Bush administration carefully examine the newly released report by the Independent Working Group, entitled Missile Defense, the Space Relationship and the Twenty-First Century, which lays out a roadmap for the development and deployment of a robust, layered, and effective U.S. missile defense shield. The report calls for the deployment of space-based defenses and the expansion of sea-based defenses, and describes ways in which the necessary technical, public, and political support can be obtained and sustained. (Article, Link)
» Read the 2007 report: The Independent Working Group on Missile Defense, the Space Relationship, and the Twenty-First Century (8 MB)
» More stories on: Analysis, Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) Weapons, Iran, Ship-Launched Threat
» Missile details: Scud B/C/D variants, Shahab-6
Iran Fires Shahab-3 Missile
May 24, 2006 :: News
Iran test launched a Shahab-3 intermediate-range ballistic missile on Tuesday night. The launch took place just hours before U.S. President George W. Bush met with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to discuss the Iranian threat.
Reports describe the test as only “partly successful,” and most likely did not indicate an advance in the missile’s capabilities. (Article, Link)
» More stories on: Iran, Testing - Foreign
» Missile details: Shahab-6
Hackett on Missile Defense Policy and Iran
April 28, 2006 :: Washington Times :: Analysis
Writing for The Washington Times, James T. Hackett offers a sobering assessment of the ballistic missile threat from Iran. The Islamic Republic is currently believed to have between 50 and 100 operational Shahab-3s. It produces one additional Shahab per month, with production reportedly increasing. Modifications could extend the missile’ range to 2,000 miles, which would reach Berlin. Iran may also be buying North Korea’s longer-range Taepodong-2. With a second stage on top, that missile could reach the U.S. East Coast. Hackett argues that diplomacy is the prudent course for now, but the U.S. should simultaneously improve its missile defenses. The Pentagon should help Israel upgrade its Arrow interceptors, deploy sea-based missile defense in the Persian Gulf, build the planned missile defense site in Europe, and develop of boost-phase defenses that can stop missile of any range or capability. (Article, Link)
» More stories on: Analysis, Iran
» Missile details: Shahab-6
Jane’s: Iran Moving Shahab-3 Missiles
March 8, 2006 :: Jane's Information Group :: News
Jane’s Missiles and Rockets reports that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, which controls Iran’s ballistic missile forces, has been moving its mobile Shahab-3 batteries every 24 hours as a precautionary measure. According to Western intelligence sources, the batteries have apparently remained within a 35 km radius, presumably to stay within range of their command-and-control centers. The IRGC has also moved Shahab-3 units to Kermanshah and Hamadan provinces in the west of the country, with reserve batteries deployed in Fars and Isfahan provinces further east. (Article, Link)
» More stories on: Iran
» Missile details: Shahab-6
Opposition Group: Iran Increasing Missile Production
March 2, 2006 :: News
Iran has ramped up its production of missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads, says a key opposition figure. Speaking to the Associated Press, Alireza Jafarzadeh, head of the Washington-based Strategic Policy Consulting think tank, stated that Iran has “significantly increased the production line” of its Shahab-3 missiles, and is now turning out missiles at a rate of approximately 90 per year, more than four times its previous production rate.
Jafarzadeh quoted unnamed sources inside Iran as confirming that Iran’s most advanced Shahab has a range of 1,900 km (nearly 1,200 miles), which would allow it to easily strike Israel and U.S. military bases throughout the region. He added that Iranian engineers, working with North Korean experts at the Hemmat Missile Industries complex in Tehran, are 70 percent finished on prototype Ghadar-101 and Ghadar-110 missiles, which are believed to have ranges of up to 3,000 km (1,800 miles), putting central Europe within range. These new missiles are believed to have a launch time of 30 minutes, compared to several hours for the Shahab-3.
Three years ago, Jafarzadeh helped reveal what was then Iran’s clandestine nuclear program. In January, he divulged details of Iran’s enrichment plans, which were confirmed a few days ago by the IAEA. (Article, Link)
» More stories on: Iran
» Missile details: Shahab-6
Report: Iran Has Conducted Four Missile Tests in 2006
February 15, 2006 :: BBC Worldwide Monitoring :: News
The German news agency DDP reports that Iran has conducted four missile tests since the beginning of 2006. Citing employees of Western security services, the report claims that Iran tested a modified intermediate-range ballistic missile, an air defense missile, a cruise missile, and an anti-tank missile. The modified intermediate-range missile is believed to have been a Shahab-3 with a range of 900 km. The report adds that Iran recently transferred several Shahab-3 missiles to neighborhoods surrounding the cities of Kermanshah and Hamad on its western border, from which it could reach targets in Israel (the distance from Kermanshah to Tel Aviv is 850 km). The air defense missile that was tested was an Iranian version of an as-of-yet unidentified Russian SAM, most likely the S-300, while the cruise missile was an Iranian version of the Chinese HY-2 Silkworm missile. The Silkworm apparently flew 150 km during the test, which would make it capable of reaching targets in the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Sea. The report adds that Iran is attempting to acquire new engine components for these cruise missiles from Germany and Switzerland, which are then smuggled through Iranian cover firms registered in Dubai’s free trade zone in the United Arab Emirates. (Article, Link)
» More stories on: Iran, Testing - Foreign
» Missile details: Shahab-6
German Newspaper: Iran Tested Missile Secretly in January
February 6, 2006 :: News
The German daily Die Welt cites western intelligence sources as reporting that Iran secretly tested a new surface-to-surface ballistic missile last month. The purpose of the test, which allegedly took place on January 17, was to collect electronic and aerodynamic measurements from the long-range missile during its flight. The test was conducted by a 15-person engineering team under the direct control of the Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and was attended by commanders of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard as well as some high-ranking employees of the Iranian aviation industry. Diplomatic sources in Iran are cited as saying the test was a success.
The German news agency DDP speculates that the above-mentioned missile may have been the Shahab-4, an intermediate-range weapon similar to the older Shahab-3 except for its increased range of over 2,000 km (approx. 1,250 miles) and its improved accuracy based on more modern digital guidance systems. Although the Shahab-4 project has been shrouded in secrecy in recent years, it is most likely an attempt to make Iran’s missile program less dependent upon foreign materials. (Article, Link)
» More stories on: Iran, Testing - Foreign
» Missile details: Shahab-6, Small ICBM
Significance of Conservative Win in Canada
January 27, 2006 :: UPI :: Analysis
Stephen Harper’s recent Conservative Party victory in Canada will have significant consequences for hemispheric ballistic missile defense and long-term U.S.-Canadian relations, writes Martin Sieff for the UPI news agency. Sieff argues that it was Harper’s decision to break the longstanding political consensus in Canada to steer clear of BMD that gave him a significant boost in what turned out to be a tight race, and predicts Harper will find it much easier to push ahead with BMD cooperation with Washington, in contrast to domestic issues. To begin with, the debate during the election campaign indicated that BMD is relatively popular with the Canadian public. More importantly, initial cooperation with the U.S. on BMD will not cost the Canadian taxpayer one cent under the terms that President Bush offered Prime Minister Martin last February. Sieff believes that, by joining hands with the U.S. on BMD, Stephen Harper will resurrect “the tremendous tradition of strategic cooperation between the United States and Canada that guaranteed hemispheric defense through World War II and the long decades of the Cold War.” He adds Canada to a growing list of nations, including Japan and Poland, in which BMD has become a “vote winner,” support for which has characterized victorious and resurgent conservative parties. (Article, Link)
» More stories on: Analysis
» Missile details: Shahab-6
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