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| Middle-east > Iran > Defense / security |
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Iran announces production of new cruise missile
By Nigel Rice for Guysen International News - Sunday 7 March 2010 - 07:34 |
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Despite attempts by the West to curb its nuclear program, Iran is wasting no time in developing missiles and announced Sunday the construction of a new line of accurate short range cruise missiles capable of destroying targets at sea.
Iran’s Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi announced the production of a new line of accurateshort range cruise missiles that can destroy targets at sea, and will later have the ability to fire from helicopters and submarines.
The Nasr 1 (Victory) cruise missile will have the capability of destroying targets of up to 3,000 tons in size and can be launched from the ground or from naval vessels, Vahidi said on state television Sunday morning.
“It is a short range missile which can destroy targets at sea, and can be fired from the shore and from different vessels, and in the future will have the ability to be fired from helicopters and submarines,” Vahidi said at the new facility.
Cruise missiles are highly advanced, usually subsonic rocket-powered weapons that can hug the ground and hit targets with great precision. The U.S. used large numbers of cruise missiles in its attack on Baghdad in 2002, launching most of them from warships in the Persian Gulf.
Iranian state TV showed a video of boxes in a warehouse containing several missiles. It also showed footage of Iran's cruise missile test in 2007. That missile was apparently imported.
Over the weekend, the London based HIS Jane’s information group, said Teheran is building a new rocket launch site and seems to be working with North Korea.
The report said the construction visible from satellite imagery near the city Semnan east of Teheran, shows Iran appears it is collaborating with Pyongyang on the project.
The intelligence group speculated that the site could be Iran’s next generation Simorgh rocket . The magazine said satellite imagery taken on February 11 this year during celebrations of the 31st anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, identified the Simorgh and Safir 2 rockets in Teheran’s Azadi Square.
Last month, Iran’s defense minister opened two other missile production plants, one for ground to air missiles and the other for surface to surface missiles. In December, Iran tested the Sejil 2 missile, a faster version of a medium range missile capable of striking Israel.
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