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How a 'quantum change' in missiles has made Iran a far more dangerous foe
National Security
How a quantum change in missiles has made Iran a far more dangerous foe
By Joby Warrick
Jan. 7, 2020 at 7:00 a.m. EST
When a swarm of drones and cruise missiles attacked Saudi Arabias biggest oil facility on Sept. 14, an outraged Trump administration quickly blamed Iran for what it called an unprecedented attack on global energy supplies. But the real surprise was the strikes accuracy: Of 19 weapons used, all but two scored direct hits.
When the smoke cleared, Saudi officials counted 14 holes where incoming projectiles had sliced through petroleum storage tanks. Three other critical parts of the oil-processing facility had been hit and disabled, shutting down the facility and temporarily cutting Saudi oil production in half.
In subsequent reports, U.S. analysts would describe the attack as a kind of wake-up call: evidence of a vastly improved arsenal of high-precision missiles that Iran has quietly developed and shared with allies over the past decade. In the event of a wider war with the United States, Iran would probably deploy such weapons to inflict substantial damage on any number of targets, from U.S. military bases to oil facilities to sites in Israel, analysts say.
Theyre saying, We can now hit those, said Fabian Hinz, an expert on Irans missile program at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in Monterey, Calif. What weve seen in Iran in the past few years is a change from missiles that were mainly political or psychological tools to actual battlefield weapons. This is a quantum change.
....
Joby Warrick
Joby Warrick joined The Washington Posts National staff in 1996. He has covered national security, the environment and the Middle East and writes about terrorism. He is the author of two books, including 2015s Black Flags: The Rise of ISIS," which was awarded a 2016 Pulitzer Prize for nonfiction. Follow https://twitter.com/jobywarrick
How a quantum change in missiles has made Iran a far more dangerous foe
By Joby Warrick
Jan. 7, 2020 at 7:00 a.m. EST
When a swarm of drones and cruise missiles attacked Saudi Arabias biggest oil facility on Sept. 14, an outraged Trump administration quickly blamed Iran for what it called an unprecedented attack on global energy supplies. But the real surprise was the strikes accuracy: Of 19 weapons used, all but two scored direct hits.
When the smoke cleared, Saudi officials counted 14 holes where incoming projectiles had sliced through petroleum storage tanks. Three other critical parts of the oil-processing facility had been hit and disabled, shutting down the facility and temporarily cutting Saudi oil production in half.
In subsequent reports, U.S. analysts would describe the attack as a kind of wake-up call: evidence of a vastly improved arsenal of high-precision missiles that Iran has quietly developed and shared with allies over the past decade. In the event of a wider war with the United States, Iran would probably deploy such weapons to inflict substantial damage on any number of targets, from U.S. military bases to oil facilities to sites in Israel, analysts say.
Theyre saying, We can now hit those, said Fabian Hinz, an expert on Irans missile program at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in Monterey, Calif. What weve seen in Iran in the past few years is a change from missiles that were mainly political or psychological tools to actual battlefield weapons. This is a quantum change.
....
Joby Warrick
Joby Warrick joined The Washington Posts National staff in 1996. He has covered national security, the environment and the Middle East and writes about terrorism. He is the author of two books, including 2015s Black Flags: The Rise of ISIS," which was awarded a 2016 Pulitzer Prize for nonfiction. Follow https://twitter.com/jobywarrick
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How a 'quantum change' in missiles has made Iran a far more dangerous foe (Original Post)
mahatmakanejeeves
Jan 2020
OP
dalton99a
(81,570 posts)1. North Korea has been helping Iran:
The Musudan is based on the Soviet R-27 Serb SLBM missile which uses a 4D10 engine propelled by unsymmetrical dimethyl hydrazine (UDMH) and nitrogen tetroxide (NTO). These propellants are much more advanced than the kerosene compounds used in North Koreas Scuds and No Dong missiles, giving the Musudan its greater range without enlarging the missile.1 Reports suggest that Iran purchased 18 Musudan missile sets from North Korea in 2005. In 2009, additional reports arose in regards to a North Korea and Iran missile linkage, indicating that Musudan parts were transferred to Iran.2
The missile specifications vary widely: length ranges from 12.0 to 19.0 m; the body diameter is 1.5 to 2.0 m; launch weight is 19,000 to 26,000 kg; and the range is 2,500 to 4,000 km. The missile is expected to have a single warhead with a payload of 1,200 kg. It uses a one or two-stage liquid propellant. The guidance is inertial with an accuracy of 1,600 m CEP.
The missile specifications vary widely: length ranges from 12.0 to 19.0 m; the body diameter is 1.5 to 2.0 m; launch weight is 19,000 to 26,000 kg; and the range is 2,500 to 4,000 km. The missile is expected to have a single warhead with a payload of 1,200 kg. It uses a one or two-stage liquid propellant. The guidance is inertial with an accuracy of 1,600 m CEP.
https://missilethreat.csis.org/missile/musudan/
FiveGoodMen
(20,018 posts)2. I'll bet the new ones can hit us in 45 minutes!