TheImmortal
SENIOR MEMBER
- Joined
- Mar 11, 2017
- Messages
- 7,091
- Reaction score
- -12
- Country
- Location
Follow along with the video below to see how to install our site as a web app on your home screen.
Note: This feature may not be available in some browsers.
With the release of Solemani missile and eventual HGV variant, this will make all missiles from Shahab-1 up to Ghadr variant obsolete as well as earlier Fatah missiles up to F-313 generation also obsolete.
Near and mid-term future: NoIn future: Iranian long range BMs will be Khorramshar-2, and Solemani 1 & 2 missile
I suspect many older missiles will be either cannibalizes for parts (space program and other missiles) and the most valuable will Kept and be moved into deep storage for war time.
I hope with that with obsolete you don't mean redundant.
Near and mid-term future: No
There is very little other use for parts that where specifically made for a certain purpose. Even the liquid fuel engines of the Shahab-1,2,3/Ghadr/Qiam will serve little purpose in any SLV because of the progress in solid-fuel technology.
The Qiam has a important role for Iran: It is the workhorse of regional tactical airpower's airbase operation denial.
It has strategic lifetime, is cheap and small.
Maybe the most favorite missile of IRGC-ASF.
Its liquid fuel, TEL based, exposes crew to air strikes or harmful fueling process, takes longer to fire allowing satellites to pick up, higher failure rate during flight. Advantage is the long shelf life as you alluded to.
As we have seen Iran is taking steps to reduce need for TELS and large trained crews.
In future as Iranian costs on existing solid fuel platforms drop, it makes greater sense to eliminate liquid fuel production missiles in same category.
But you maybe right they might keep Qiam or or sell missile to other militaries in future as a revenue generation channel.
You are right about the high training requirements and dangerous liquid fuel of the Qiam.
As said it is the IRGC-ASF payload workhorse, those mountain superbases with cavern launch method will throw them out every 30 minutes from each cavern.
TELs would operate if the enemy has lost its reach to threaten them or IADS is fully intact.
You build a Qiam and you have a payload delivery system for 100+ years.
Weapon lifecylce costs are very important to Iran.
Qiam will remain.
You are right about the mountain base, but it is not an invulnerable fortress. It needs exhaust vents to release harmful fumes and those vents are exposed as well as the auxiliary systems that supply air/power into the bases. Iran is not the first country to build mountain based silos.
As you alluded to Qiam is as valuable as long as it’s air defense systems can hold up. Unrealistic to expect the current Iranian air defense network to be able to hold against 300+ aircraft and thousands of cruise missiles. Pockets may survive but overall shield will fall. Maybe future is different. Thus speed and fire rate preparation time becomes critical.
Space that Qiam takes up can be filled by a future Iranian missile that can carry multiple warheads or MIRVs wether liquid or solid thus expanding the firepower per missile.
I believe current Qiam supply built since at least 2010 is sufficient enough for IRGC needs.
I believe next step for Iranian missiles is once accuracy has been improved to its realistic limits will be to build missiles with more powerful engines that can carry much higher payloads (MARVs and MIRVs). We already see that with Khorramshar family to (eventually) replace Shahab-3 family.
Colombian president is a US puppet
@AmirPatriot , I saw you had trouble posting a thread about the upcoming Defense Industries Day on twitter. I'm sure we don't mind if you post your findings here on this forum.
Maybe we should all tag @AmirPatriot to share his findings with us!