Iran inaugurates nation's first unmanned bomber
By NASSER KARIMI
The Associated Press
Sunday, August 22, 2010; 7:48 AM
TEHRAN, Iran -- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Sunday inaugurated the country's first domestically built unmanned bomber aircraft, calling it an "ambassador of death" to Iran's enemies.
The 4-meter-long drone aircraft can carry up to four cruise missiles and will have a range of 620 miles (1,000 kilometers), according to a state TV report - not far enough to reach archenemy Israel.
"The jet, as well as being an ambassador of death for the enemies of humanity, has a main message of peace and friendship," said Ahmadinejad at the inauguration ceremony, which fell on the country's national day for its defense industries.
The goal of the aircraft, named Karrar or striker, is to "keep the enemy paralyzed in its bases," he said, adding that the aircraft is for deterrence and defensive purposes.
The president championed the country's military self-sufficiency program, and said it will continue "until the enemies of humanity lose hope of ever attacking the Iranian nation."
Iran launched an arms development program during its 1980-88 war with Iraq to compensate for a U.S. weapons embargo and now produces its own tanks, armored personnel carries, missiles and even a fighter plane.
Iran frequently makes announcements about new advances in military technology that cannot be independently verified.
State TV later showed video footage of the plane taking off from a launching pad and reported that the craft traveled at speeds of 560 miles per hour (900 kilometers) and could alternatively be armed with two 250-pound bombs or a 450-pound guided bomb.
Iran has been producing its own light, unmanned surveillance aircraft since the late 1980s.
The ceremony came a day after Iran began to fuel its first nuclear power reactor, with the help of Russia, amid international concerns over the possibility of a military dimension to its nuclear program.
Iran insists it is only interested in generating electricity.
Referring to Israel's occasional threats against Iran's nuclear facilities, Ahmadinejad called any attack unlikely, but he said if Israel did, the reaction would be overwhelming.
"The scope of Iran's reaction will include the entire the earth," said Ahmadinejad. "We also tell you - the West - that all options are on the table."
Ahmadinejad appeared to be consciously echoing the terminology used by the U.S. and Israel in their statements not ruling out a military option against Iran's nuclear facilities.
On Friday, Iran also test-fired a new liquid fuel surface-to-surface missile, the Qiam-1, with advanced guidance systems.
Iranian Karrar at launch 22 Aug 2010
This weapon reportedly does not have sufficient range to reach and attack Israel. It is not supersonic in performance and has a relatively light warhead capacity.
The wording of the press release is hostile and presents the weapon to “the West” as if Iran has designated Europe, Israel, and the U.S. as being all but at war with Iran. Such language may play well to the Religious extremists in Iran, the Revolutionary Guards units that control missile forces and most likely will control any nuclear weaponry Iran acquires.
The demonstration of this weapon in conjunction with the initial fueling of Iran’s first nuclear power reactor is most probably calculated to raise fear of Iran’s weapons program. While the weapon may be lacking in payload and range, it is significant in that it is manufactured in Iran. Even if every fragment of its design is pirated or reverse engineered from older technology, demonstration of capacity to manufacture and deploy such weapons while under severe weapons embargo by the West speaks loudly of Iran’s intent to become a world power. Like many other nations that have reached and lost imperial status, Iran still has rulers who dream of a restored Persian Empire ruled by Islamic fundamentalists.
Israel, Europe, and the U.S. need to block any export of this weapon to Iranian client states or to Iranian backed terrorist groups. Its limited range is not a problem if it can be shipped to Syria, Lebanon, or Gaza. It can also be tweaked to fire from a cargo ship off the coast of the U.S.
The Technology may be lacking compared to modern weapons in the western arsenal. But the technology is somewhat similar to that of the post WWII/early Cold War level. Those weapons were good enough to serve as deterrents against the Soviet Union’s nuclear capability. In the hands of Islamic fundamentalists or any other group with NBC warhead capability this weapon is of serious concern.
Iran seems hell-bent upon acquiring nuclear warhead capability and will likely not hesitate to provide such weapons to anyone willing to target and deploy them against Israel and the U.S.
The weapon is reminiscent of the WWII V-1 Buzz Bombs launched at England by the German Army. It is, therefore reminiscent of the Regulus and Regulus II cruise missiles developed by the U.S.
http://www.regulus-missile.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SSM-N-8_Regulus
“specifications for the project, now named "Regulus," were issued: Carry a 3,000-pound (1,400 kg) warhead, to a range of 500 nautical miles (930 km), at Mach 0.85, with a circular error probable (CEP) of 0.5% of the range. At its extreme range the missile had to hit within 2.5 nautical miles (4.6 km) of its target 50% of the time.
The design was 30 feet (9.1 m) long, 10 feet (3.0 m) in wingspan, 4 feet (1.2 m) in diameter, and would weigh between 10,000 and 12,000 pounds (4,500 and 5,400 kg) After launch, it would be guided toward its target by two control stations. (Later, with the "Trounce" system, one submarine could guide it). The first Regulus flew in March 1951.”
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Ships fitted with Regulus
The first launch from a submarine occurred in July 1953 from the deck of USS Tunny (SSG-282), a World War II fleet boat modified to carry Regulus. Tunny and her sister boat USS Barbero (SSG-317) were the States’ first nuclear deterrent patrol submarines. They were joined in 1958 by two purpose built Regulus submarines, USS Grayback (SSG-574), USS Growler (SSG-577), and, later, by the nuclear powered USS Halibut (SSGN-587). So that no target would be left uncovered, four Regulus missiles had to be at sea at any given time. Thus, Barbero and Tunny, each of which carried two Regulus missiles, patrolled simultaneously. Growler and Grayback, with four missiles, or Halibut, with five, could patrol alone. These five submarines made 40 Regulus strategic deterrent patrols between October 1959 and July 1964, when they were relieved by the George Washington class submarines carrying the Polaris missile system. Barbero also earned the distinction (and undying fame among philatelists) of launching the only delivery of Missile Mail.
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Regulus I fired from the USS Los Angeles (CA-135), 1957.
Regulus was deployed by the US Navy in 1955 in the Pacific onboard the cruiser USS Los Angeles (CA-135). In 1956, three more followed: USS Macon (CA-132), USS Toledo (CA-133), and USS Helena (CA-75). These four Baltimore class cruisers each carried three Regulus missiles on operational patrols in the Western Pacific. Macon’s last Regulus patrol was in 1958, Toledo’s in 1959, Helena’s in 1960, and Los Angeles’s in 1961.
Ten aircraft carriers were configured to carry and launch Regulus missiles (though only six ever actually launched one). USS Princeton (CV-37) did not deploy with the missile but conducted the first launch of a Regulus from a warship. USS Saratoga (CVA-60) also did not deploy but was involved in two demonstration launches. USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CVA-42) and USS Lexington (CV-16) each conducted one test launch. USS Randolph (CV-15) deployed to the Mediterranean carrying three Regulus missiles. USS Hancock (CV-19) deployed once to the Western Pacific with four missiles in 1955. Lexington, Hancock, USS Shangri-La (CV-38), and USS Ticonderoga (CV-14) were involved in the development of the Regulus Assault Mission (RAM) concept. RAM converted the Regulus cruise missiles into an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV): Regulus missiles would be launched from cruisers or submarines, and once in flight, guided to their targets by carrier-based pilots with remote control equipment.
“Wording on the Regulus I Placard at Bowfin Park, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The placard reads:
"From 1959 through 1964 Regulus was the submarine-launched retaliatory missile in the Pacific
The Regulus Missile Deterrent Strike Force operated from Submarine Base Pearl Harbor, under the operational control of Commander, Submarine Force, Pacific Fleet, and was supported by Guided Missile Unit Ten. Less than 800 men and their fight-ready submarines maintained their warheads within minutes of assigned targets under the most arduous conditions. They undertook a most difficult and challenging task and saw it to a successful conclusion.
This missile is dedicated to those submariners and their boats who, for five years, carried the shield."
Replacement and legacy
Production of Regulus was phased out in January 1959 with delivery of the 514th missile, and it was removed from service in August 1964. Regulus not only provided the first nuclear strategic deterrence force for the United States Navy during the first years of the Cold War and especially during the Cuban Missile Crisis, preceding the Polaris missiles, Poseidon missiles, and Trident missiles that followed, but it also was the forerunner of the Tomahawk cruise missile.”
“The Regulus missile was a large turbojet powered missile. Its barrel-shaped fuselage resembled that of numerous fighter aircraft designs of the era, but without any cockpit. Its swept wings and rear fin were also smaller than those of most aircraft, while additionally, when the missile was ready for launch, it was fitted with two large booster rockets on the aft end of the fuselage.
Variants
A second generation supersonic Vought Regulus II cruise missile with a range of 1,200 nautical miles (2,200 km) and a speed of Mach 2 was developed and successfully tested, but the program was canceled in favor of the Polaris ballistic nuclear missile.”
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