Kowsar
Encyclopedia
Kowsar is a medium-range, land-based anti-ship missile made by Iran
. It can defeat electronic jamming
systems and "cannot be thrown off course", according to Iranian officials.
The Kowsar designation apparently (Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance 2006) is used to refer to two different missiles: Iranian-produced versions of the PRC
C-701
and the TL-10
A.
i warships.
One of the missiles hit the corvette
INS Hanit
, causing heavy damage and the deaths of four Israeli servicemen. The other missile hit an Egyptian merchant ship causing heavy damage; it is reported that all the crew survived.
Chinese government sources have stated that the missile was not a C-802
/Noor
. The Hanit did suffer major damage to its steering and some to its engine from the missile hit, and had to be removed from the area, but the damage was lighter than initially feared. Using hits by the Harpoon missile — which has a warhead approximately 1.5 times larger than the C-802, and is generally considered able to cripple a corvette-sized vessel with a single hit — as a reference point, it seems likely that the missiles used by Hezbollah were not Noor missiles, and were the smaller Kowsar. The Kowsar missiles are classed as being able to sink a FAC
with one hit, which is more in line with the reported damage.
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
. It can defeat electronic jamming
Radar jamming and deception
Radar jamming and deception is the intentional emission of radio frequency signals to interfere with the operation of a radar by saturating its receiver with noise or false information...
systems and "cannot be thrown off course", according to Iranian officials.
The Kowsar designation apparently (Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance 2006) is used to refer to two different missiles: Iranian-produced versions of the PRC
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
C-701
C-701
The C-701 is a Chinese missile that is roughly comparable to the American AGM-65 A/B/D/H Maverick air-to-surface missile. However, the C-701 is smaller and has less than half the weight of the AGM-65 A/B/D/H Maverick.-Design:...
and the TL-10
TL-10
The TL-10 or Sky Dragon - 10 is a light anti-ship missile unveiled in the Zhuhai Airshow in 2004 in China, and it is the Chinese equivalent of the French MM-15TT / AS-15TT light anti-ship missile developed by Aérospatiale.-History:The development of the TL program appeared to have started in the...
A.
Combat history
Some news reports indicate that this was the missile used on July 14, 2006 in the 2006 Lebanon War when Hezbollah fired two at IsraelIsrael
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i warships.
One of the missiles hit the corvette
Corvette
A corvette is a small, maneuverable, lightly armed warship, originally smaller than a frigate and larger than a coastal patrol craft or fast attack craft , although many recent designs resemble frigates in size and role...
INS Hanit
INS Hanit
The INS Hanit is a Sa'ar 5-class corvette of the Israeli Navy that was built by Northrop Grumman Ship Systems in 1994...
, causing heavy damage and the deaths of four Israeli servicemen. The other missile hit an Egyptian merchant ship causing heavy damage; it is reported that all the crew survived.
Chinese government sources have stated that the missile was not a C-802
C-802
The Yingji-82 or YJ-82 is a Chinese anti-ship missile first unveiled in 1989 by the China Haiying Electro-Mechanical Technology Academy , also known as the Third Academy...
/Noor
Noor (missile)
Noor is a long-range anti-ship cruise missile manufactured by Iran, based on the Chinese C-802.Noor has a range of 200km and is powered by Toloue-4, an Iranian version of the French Microturbo TRI 60 engine...
. The Hanit did suffer major damage to its steering and some to its engine from the missile hit, and had to be removed from the area, but the damage was lighter than initially feared. Using hits by the Harpoon missile — which has a warhead approximately 1.5 times larger than the C-802, and is generally considered able to cripple a corvette-sized vessel with a single hit — as a reference point, it seems likely that the missiles used by Hezbollah were not Noor missiles, and were the smaller Kowsar. The Kowsar missiles are classed as being able to sink a FAC
Fast Attack Craft
Fast Attack Craft are small, fast, agile and offensive warships, that are armed with anti-ship missiles, guns or torpedoes. These are usually operated in close proximity to land as they lack both the sea-keeping and all-round defensive capabilities to survive in blue water. The size of the vessel...
with one hit, which is more in line with the reported damage.
See also
- Military of IranMilitary of IranThe Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran include the IRIA and the IRGC and the Police Force .These forces total about 545,000 active personnel . All branches of armed forces fall under the command of General Headquarters of Armed Forces...
- Iranian military industryIranian military industryIran's military industry has taken great strides in the past 25 years, and now manufactures many types of arms and equipments. According to Iranian officials, the country sold $100 million worth of military equipment in 2003. and as of 2006 had exported weapons to 57 countries...
- Current Equipment of the Iranian Army