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Iranian UAVs | News and Discussions

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Iran is developing a broad range of ballistic guided rockets and missiles, from the JDAM like 250kg GPS guided bombs and 330mm Fajr 5 rockets and the 2000 km range class Sejil. The two Fateh-110 class missiles are Hormoz 1 and Hormoz 2, designed as anti-radiation (radar attack) missiles. The missile shown with black nose carries a load of 30 submunitions. Photo: Iran’s President Website
Fateh 110 missiles in Iran, Syria and Lebanon | Defense Update:


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Left side from bottom: a bomb labelled 'JDAM'; a guided version of the Fajr-5 333 mm artillery rocket; a Hormuz-1 anti-radiation ballistic missile; a Fateh-110 tactical ballistic missile labelled as a 'Zelzal Barshi' with a submunition warhead. The red missile on the right is the Ya Ali cruise missile; the large ballistic missile behind it a mock-up of the solid-fuel Sejjil. (leader.ir)
IRGC unveils new tactical ballistic missiles developments - IHS Jane's 360
 

GBU-38:

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General Characteristics:

Primary Function: Guided air-to-surface weapon

Contractor: Boeing Company

Length: 92.6 inches (235.2 centimeters)
Launch Weight: 558 pounds (253.6 kilograms)
Wingspan: 14 inches (35.6 centimeters)
Range: Up to 15 miles
Ceiling: 45,000-plus feet (13,677 meters)
Guidance System: GPS/INS
Unit cost: Approximately $22,000 per tailkit (fiscal 2007 dollars)
Date Deployed: 1999
Inventory: The tailkit is in full-rate production. Projected total inventory is 217,746, with 149,237 for the Air Force and 68,509 for the U.S. Navy
 
MQM-107A

March 29, 2015

This was an itch I’ve been trying to scratch. Small but annoying.

Some background: a few months ago, I wrote a piece about the UAVs used by Iran’s Air Defense Force, including a number taken out for a spin during the Muhammad Rasulullah exercises in late December.

Most of the Air Defense Force’s UAV fleet is pretty boring, a collection of snoozeworthy micro UAVs and Saqehs for target practice. Some Mohajer-4′s. The air defense drones with MANPADS bolted on, the Sadegh (Mohajer-B) and Sarir (feels like vaporware), are kinda funny, though. And the leaflet-dropping Hazem is an odd duck.

The “Kian”—a renamed and refurbished old U.S. MQM-107A Streaker target drone leftover from the Shah’s reign—kinda stuck out to me. Whether it’s the F-4 Phantoms still running or the Chukars still keeping them sharp, it’s always interesting to see how the Iranians have managed to keep these testaments to the Shah era alive (as well as their original brand markings).

What bothered me about the Kian was that I wasn’t immediately able to identify what it was carting underneath its wings. Nothing special, but thanks to a merciful ounce spare time for digging, I’m pretty sure they’re TRX-4A Radar Towbees.

Up until recently, the Kian seemed to be mostly parade fodder, at least as far as I’m aware (an awareness, I stress, that is by no means comprehensive). But in the Mohammed Rasulullah exercises in late December, the Air Defense Force seemed to be saying that this was the first time that Iran has used the Streaker for testing or operations.

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(Top—Screen grab of Sacred Defense parade footage from 2010. Middle—Fars News photo of Sacred Defense the same parade. Mehr grabbed a shot of a Streaker’s nose in the 2011 Sacred Defense parade. Bottom—Rear shot from military.ir seems to be an Army Day parade 2010 but can’t be certain)

The best close-up I’ve seen of the “Kian” comes from Tasnim’s photos of a November 2014 Air Defense Force grip and grin event welcoming Supreme National Security Council chief Ali Shamkhani.

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Scroll through photos of known MQM-107A payloads and before long you’ll come across the TRX-4A Radar Towbee, a dead ringer for the ones hanging from Kian’s wings.

Good, high-resolution photos of the TRX-4 are hard to come by. However, Sweden has a cool museum at the Vidsel missile range, which the Swedes are keen to point out is Europe’s largest overland test range. The name in Swedish, Robotförsöksplats Norrland, is the coolest name possible for a test range of any stripe. (Note to self: try to visit if ever I go to Sweden). They’ve got an MQM-107A with a similar-looking radar tow helpfully labeled as TRX-4.

Not much special about the TRX-4. Towed radar array with a radar reflecting lens to give it an 8 square foot radar cross section for the folks below to shoot at.

MQM-107A
 
Ok, that's the Original JDAM. What is the point. WHat is there to discuss. It is pointless to just post pics. etc without some purpose.

GBU-38:
Unit cost: Approximately $22,000 per tailkit (fiscal 2007 dollars)
Projected total inventory is 217,746, with 149,237 for the Air Force and 68,509 for the U.S. Navy
That's about 4,79 billion dollar worth of tailkits ..... I could run my country's higher educational system on that amount.
 
Ok, that's the Original JDAM. What is the point. WHat is there to discuss. It is pointless to just post pics. etc without some purpose.


That's about 4,79 billion dollar worth of tailkits ..... I could run my country's higher educational system on that amount.

Ok ... seems you are not in the mood !!!

Expecting more input ...
 
Frame the discussion and I'll see what I can do. It's your topic.....
 
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