World News & Analysis
Iran Acquires Additional Chinese Missile Technology
Aviation Week & Space Technology
04/10/2006, page 33
Douglas Barrie
London
Missile in Iranian exercise underscores extent of guided-weapons ties between Tehran and Beijing
Printed headline: Firing Away
Iran's tactical missile capability continues to benefit from Chinese support, with Tehran revealing during a military exercise last week that it has acquired a radar-guided version of the Chinese C-701 antiship missile.
A shore-launched firing of the C-701 variant was carried out during large-scale exercises. Moreover, Iran last week test-fired the Noor antiship missile, a version of the Chinese C-802. It was the first helicopter launch for the weapon, say Iranian military officials. The launch platform is believed to have been a Mil Mi-17. The sea-skimming missile has a range of about 200 km. (124 mi.).
Iran appears to have acquired a radar-guided version of the C-701 antiship missile, which was showcased as part of a larger exercise featuring several advanced weapon systems.Credit: HOSSEIN FATEMI/FARS NEWS AGENCY
Iran has been working with the Chinese weapons for some time. China Precision Machinery Import-Export Corp. (CPMIEC) first showed a radar-guided C-701 in November 2004. This version, sometimes referred to as the C-701R, was displayed at the Zhuhai air show in 2004 and described by CPMIEC as using a millimeter-wave radar seeker. The baseline electro-optically guided model was shown in 1998.
Iranian reports of last week's exercise describe the launch of a missile named Kosar, or SL-10, as part of the exercise.
Iran's Aerospace Industries Organization Cruise Systems Industries Group uses the name Kosar to cover at least two C-701 versions, as well as the Hongdu TL-10A TV-guided antiship missile, also from China. The radar-guided C-701 may correspond to the Kosar 3 designation.
The antiship missile (see photo) appears nearly identical to the RF-guided C-701. This version does not feature the small flipout, mid-body wing extensions seen on the electro-optically guided weapon.
The maximum engagement range for the Kosar 3 is 25 km. The weapon has a launch weight of 120 kg. (264 lb.) and is fitted with a 29-kg. warhead. Using a radar seeker operating in the millimeter-wave band provides an all-weather capability, with robustness comparable to present countermeasures. MMW seekers can also provide high-resolution target imagery, allowing for target classification and aimpoint selection.
A variant of Kosar may also have been fielded on inshore fast attack craft operated by Iran. Images of this class of craft show the vessel fitted with a launch container similar to that of the C-701. The missile would also be suitable for helicopter carriage.
While the C-701 is associated with the YJ-7 Chinese designation, so far no imagery or information has been made public to confirm that the weapon has entered Beijing's missile inventory in significant numbers. Iran is also carrying out final assembly of some of the Kosar family of missiles. Previous Iranian TV-footage showed missile sections of the Hongdu TL-10A prior to final assembly. A TV-seeker test stand was also shown. It remains to be determined whether C-701 final assembly is also being carried out in-country.
Alongside the Hongdu TL-10, Iran appears interested in the Chinese TL-6B antiship missile. This weapon corresponds to the Nasr missile in terms of design and performance specifications. At 360 kg., it is larger than either the C-701 or TL-10.
During the recent exercise, Iran displayed what it claimed were several recently developed capabilities. Given the heightened tensions between Iran and the West over Tehran's nuclear ambitions, the exercise was partly intended to be a show of force.
The exercise included the test-firing of a high-speed torpedo, very similar to the Russian Shkval. While Iran claims this is an indigenous system, its strong resemblance to the Russian one is noteworthy. The defense ministry also says it has test-launched an improved intermediate-range ballistic missile, likely a Shahab 3 version.
While Iranian reports of the missile's features were unclear, references to its "radar-evading" capabilities could reflect the development, or acquisition, of some form of decoy package that deploys along with the warhead.
Thought this could be interesting since it goes into a little more detail about just which systems Iran has and hopes to aquire from China. As seen from other threads, anti-shipping missles seem to be at the top of Iran's priority list.
