Ashoura missile
Encyclopedia
November 2007, Iranian Defence Minister Mostafa Mohammad-Najjar
announced Iran had built a new missile with a range of 2,000 km, the Ashoura missile. Najar said: "The Islamic Republic of Iran has never aimed to launch an attack on any country. It will never do so. But if someone wants to invade Iran, they will face a crushing response by the armed forces." He did not say how the missile differed from the Shahab-3, which has a range of 2100 km.
He told the gathering Basij
militia during the manoeuvres they were holding that same week that: "The construction of the Ashoura missile, with the range of 2,000 km, is among the accomplishments of the Defence Ministry."
According to Jane's Defence Weekly
, the Ashoura represents a major breakthrough in Iranian missile technology. It is the first two stage MRBM using solid fueled rocket motors instead of the existing liquid fueled technology used on the Shahab
. This would dramatically reduce the setup and deployment time for the missile and hence, shorten the amount of warning time for the enemy and increase accuracy. Jane's noted that while the development parallels Pakistan's Shaheen MRBM there is no evidence to suggest there had been any prior technology exchange or with its other known technology partners such as North Korea
, India
or China
The Ashoura was developed by the Shahid Bagheri Industrial Group (SBIG) under the Sanam Industrial Group (Department 140) which is part of the Defense Industries Organization
(DIO) of Iran.
Mostafa Mohammad-Najjar
Mostafa Mohammad Najjar is the current Interior minister of Iran since August 9, 2009. He was Minister of Defense in the first cabinet of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad from 2005 to 2009. He is a veteran of the Revolutionary Guards .-Early life:...
announced Iran had built a new missile with a range of 2,000 km, the Ashoura missile. Najar said: "The Islamic Republic of Iran has never aimed to launch an attack on any country. It will never do so. But if someone wants to invade Iran, they will face a crushing response by the armed forces." He did not say how the missile differed from the Shahab-3, which has a range of 2100 km.
He told the gathering Basij
Basij
The Basij is a paramilitary volunteer militia established in 1979 by order of the Islamic Revolution's leader Ayatollah Khomeini. The force consists of young Iranians who have volunteered, often in exchange for official benefits...
militia during the manoeuvres they were holding that same week that: "The construction of the Ashoura missile, with the range of 2,000 km, is among the accomplishments of the Defence Ministry."
According to Jane's Defence Weekly
Jane's Defence Weekly
Jane's Defence Weekly is a weekly magazine reporting on military and corporate affairs, edited by Peter Felstead. It is one of a number of military-related publications named after John F. T. Jane, an Englishman who first published Jane's All the World's Fighting Ships in 1898...
, the Ashoura represents a major breakthrough in Iranian missile technology. It is the first two stage MRBM using solid fueled rocket motors instead of the existing liquid fueled technology used on the Shahab
Shahab
Shahab may refer to:* a male given name in Arabic and also Persian, meaning meteor or shooting star, or a bright star that illuminates the heavens* Shahab F.C., Iranian football club in Semnan...
. This would dramatically reduce the setup and deployment time for the missile and hence, shorten the amount of warning time for the enemy and increase accuracy. Jane's noted that while the development parallels Pakistan's Shaheen MRBM there is no evidence to suggest there had been any prior technology exchange or with its other known technology partners such as North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
or China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
The Ashoura was developed by the Shahid Bagheri Industrial Group (SBIG) under the Sanam Industrial Group (Department 140) which is part of the Defense Industries Organization
Defense Industries Organization
The Defense Industries Organization The Defense Industries Organization The Defense Industries Organization (DIO; Persian: Sasadjah (Sazemane Sanaye Defa) is a conglomerate of companies run by the Islamic Republic of Iran whose function is to provide the military of Iran with the necessary...
(DIO) of Iran.