| Country: |
Libya |
| Alternate Name: |
Itisslat |
| Class: |
MRBM |
| Basing: |
Surface based |
| Payload: |
Single warhead, 500 kg |
| Warhead: |
HE, chemical |
| Propulsion: |
2 or 3-stage solid |
| Range: |
1300-1500 km |
| Status: |
Development |
Details
The Al Fatah system is a short- to medium-range, surface-based, liquid propellant ballistic missile that is currently in development in Libya. The program began in the 1980s and has undergone several different incarnations. The original version was rumored to have been developed with Brazilian, People's Republic of China (PRC) and German help and have a range of 950 km (590 miles). Reports indicate that Iran and Iraq became involved by the early 1990's.
In 1999, it was reported that the Al Fatah project had undergone significant changes. The project was then a solid propellant design with a payload of 500 kg and a range of 1000 km (621 miles). This system is thought to use foreign components and be derived from Indian, Serbian and Ukrainian missile technologies.
More recent developments of the Al Fatah system use common components of the Pakistani Hatf systems, the Iranian Shahab missile systems as well as the Korean No-dong systems, which were in turn developed by the PRC. This more recent design uses a more efficient liquid first stage, but would lack the mobility of the earlier solid stage Al Fatah concept. In exchange for the decreased ability to deploy the missile, range would increase to between 1,300 and 1,500 km (808 and 932 miles). While seemingly limited, the 500 km (311 miles) increase in range substantially increases the strategic competency of the Al Fatah.
The payloads for the Al Fatah are thought to be either chemical or high explosive, but it is possible that the 500 kg payload could eventually be used with a nuclear payload. The accuracy of the system is entirely unknown, as are the dimensions of the missile. The Al Fatah system is theoretically on hold at present; however, given the long duration of the program it is questionable whether the system was ever considered to be a great strategic asset on the part of Libya.(1)
Footnotes
- globalsecurity.org, "Libyan Missiles," available at http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/world/libya/missile.htm, accessed on July 3 2007.
