MissileThreat :: Zelzal-1/2/3

Country:	Iran
Class:	SRBM
Basing:	Road mobile
Payload:	Single warhead
Warhead:	HE
Propulsion:	Single-stage solid
Range:	125/200/150-400 km
Status:	Operational

Details

The Zelzal missiles are short-range, road-mobile, solid-propellant systems, of which very little is known. The first evidence of their existence came from a number of reports in 1996 which indicated that Iran had three solid propellant missile development programs, called the Zelzal-1, Zelzal-2 and Zelzal-3. However, the liquid-fueled Shahab-3 is now believed to have been designated as the Zelzel-3, which contradicts previous reports.

The Zelzal missiles are short-range, road-mobile, solid-propellant systems, of which much distinction is uncertain. The first evidence of their existence came from a number of reports in 1996 which indicated that Iran had three solid propellant missile development programs, called the Zelzal-1, Zelzal-2 and Zelzal-3. However, the liquid-fueled Shahab-3 is now believed to have been designated as the Zelzal-3, which contradicts previous reports.

The Zelzal missiles are most likely unguided or use a rudimentary inertial system. They have ranges varying from 150 to 400 km (93 to 249 miles) and all carry a 600 kg payload. The missile is probably intended as a cheap alternative to importing better systems from China and will replace many of the Scuds that Iran has used against Iraq. The complete lack of a guidance system makes the system only useful as an artillery system to bombard a general area or a large target. As there is no guidance system, the angle and direction of launch will determine the ability of the missile to fly straight, and thus its accuracy. When properly launched, the Zelzal is accurate within several kilometers of its target.

The Zelzal-1 has a length of 8.32 m, a diameter of 0.61 m and a launch weight of 2,950 kg.In 1996, Iran tested the Zelzal-2 and then put the missile system up for sale. The Zelzal-2 is 8.32 m in length and 0.61 m in diameter, with a launch weight of 3,400 kg. It carries its 600 kg warhead to a maximum range of 200 km (124 miles). The Fateh A-110 (described separately) is believed to be a guided variant. In September 1999, Tehran displayed an unguided rocket known as the Zelzal-3. Its range is between 150 and 200 km (93 and 124 miles). An unconfirmed 2001 report suggests that Iran will upgrade the Zelzal-3 with an inertial guidance system and two solid propellant strap-on boosters that could increase its range to as much as 400 km (249 miles).¹

Reports indicate that Iran has recently supplied Zelzal missiles to the militant Islamic terrorist organization, Hezbollah, in Lebanon. According to Israeli press reports, in 2004 Hezbollah received 220 missiles from Iran, and the weapons have been stored in bunkers in three locations in the Bekaa Valley.² Reports indicate that some of these missiles may have been delivered to Hezbollah as early as 2003. These weapons would have been covertly removed from Iran via Syrian cargo planes intending to bring disaster relief equipment, in the wake of the December earthquake.³ In 2006, during a brief engagement between Israelis and Hezbollah, the Israeli Defense Force reportedly destroyed a large amount of Hezbollah's Zelzal cache. Reports indicate that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has control over many of these operable weapons in Syria. The IRGC is implicated for operating in the area, assisting and training Hezbollah. ⁴

There was a flight test of the Zelzal 2 in September 2004.⁵The Zelzal variants were tested again in November 2006 as part of a public demonstration of all Iranian missile systems.⁶ The Zelzal variants were fired during IRGC war games in January 2007. Iranian military personnel report successful results from the weapons.⁷ The weapons were again tested at Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) war games in February 2007. Their success is uncertain.⁸

Footnotes

Duncan Lennox, ed., Jane's Strategic Weapons Systems 41 (Surrey: Jane's Information Group, January 2005), 9; Doug Richardson, "Iran Tests Solid-Propellant Missile," Jane's Defence Weekly, 1 August 2001.
David C. Isby, "Iran Supplies Improved Rockets to Syria and Hizbullah," Jane's Missiles and Rockets, 1 October 2004
Steven Erlanger, Richard Oppel Jr, "Hostilities in the Mideast: The Militia," The New York Times, www.nytimes.com, 7 August 2006, Accessed on 10 June 2008.
Ian Bruce, "Most Hizbollah long-range missiles' destroyed at start'; Israel," The Herald (Glasgow), www.theherald.co.uk, 9 August 2006, Accessed on 10 June 2008.
Duncan Lennox, ed., Jane's Strategic Weapons Systems 46 (Surrey: Jane's Information Group, January 2007), 74.
Associated Press, "Tehran ‘sabre rattling' - Israel and US bases within missile range," Weekend Australian, http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/, 4 November 2006, Accessed on 10 June 2008.
"Iran military uses air observers to improve missile impact - general," BBC Monitoring Middle East - Political, www.bbc.co.uk, 26 January 2007, Accessed on 10 June 2008.
"Persian Press: Commanders Comment on Eqtedar military exercise, weapons," BBC Monitoring Middle East - Political, www.bbc.co.uk, 25 February 2007, Accessed on 10 June 2008.

Iran Conducts Missile Tests

July 9, 2008 :: New York Times :: News

Iran reportedly tested seven missiles today from a location in the Iranian desert reportedly near the Strait of Hormuz. Of the several missiles fired, reports indicate that one was the medium range Shahab-3, capable of reaching targets at a range of up to 2000 km. The other missiles fired include shorter range ballistic missiles such as the Zelzal and the Fateh 110. It is yet unclear whether the tests were successful. Iran is believed to have numerous Zelzal and Fateh missiles, and supplies them to other countries and rogue groups.

In addition to the missiles tested today, Iran is also believed to be developing longer range missiles, titled Shahab-4 and Shahab- 5, with increased range, payload, and accuracy. The rhetoric of missile bombardment most often comes from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Tehran's most elite soldiers with nearly complete control over the Iranian missile forces. The IRGC is commanded by Hossein Salami who released a statement today saying, "Our missiles are ready for shooting at any place and any time, quickly and with accuracy. The enemy must not repeat its mistakes. The enemy targets are under surveillance." The IRGC often conducts war games in Iran's western provinces. The majority of war games which include missile tests occur around the mountainous region of Khorramabad.

Iran's tests occur on a regular basis. Yet the timing today seems deliberate, given the U.S. agreement with the Czech Republic yesterday for the stationing of missile defense radars. Gordon D. Johndroe, assistant White House press secretary, quickly responded to the tests today saying, "The Iranian regime only furthers the isolation of the Iranian people from the international community when it engages in this sort of activity."

Update: Subsequent reports dispute the number of missiles fired and the classification of those tested this week. This does not, however, alter the fact that the Shahab-3 has been successfully tested on many previous occasions.
(Article, Link)

» More stories on: Iran, Testing - Foreign

» Missile details: Fateh A-110, Zelzal-1/2/3, Shahab-3

Iran Tests Missiles in Exercise

January 22, 2007 :: Financial Times :: News

Iranian television has announced the beginning of a military exercise Sunday, involving the tests of short range missiles. The Muharram Missile Exercise is said to be taking place in the Garmsar region, outside Tehran. The 350km-range Zelzal and the 70km-range Fajr-3 rocket were reportedly among those tested. These missiles are of course modest compared to Iran's more capable 2,000km-range Shahab-3/4.

The Voice of the Islamic Republic of Iran radio quoted a Commander A'ineh of the Revolutionary Guard as saying that the exercises were to test the ability to attack an enemy at a variety of distances. (Article, Link)

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» Missile details: Zelzal-1/2/3

Jerusalem Post: Syria and Iran Smuggling Long-Range Missiles to Hezbollah

December 3, 2006 :: Jerusalem Post :: News

Syria and Iran have smuggled “truckloads” of long-range missiles into Lebanon over the past four months, reports Yaakov Katz in The Jerusalem Post. During the Lebanon war from July to August 2006, the Israeli Defense Force destroyed most of Hezbollah’s long-range missile arsenal, including the Iranian-made Fajr and Zelzal missiles. But according to Israeli military intelligence, Hezbollah has since received weapon convoys carrying long-range missiles, as well as short-range and anti-tank missiles. Hezbollah has stored these weapons in its extensive system of underground tunnels and bunkers in southern Lebanon, despite the presence of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon and the Lebanese Armed Forces south of the Litani River. According to The Jerusalem Post, Israeli military intelligence believes that “sooner or later” Hezbollah will resume military operations against Israel in the form of rocket and mortar attacks. (Article, Link)

» More stories on: Israel, Iran, Syria, Proliferation, Terrorism

» Missile details: Zelzal-1/2/3

Rubin: Iran “Major Missile Power” in Region

November 30, 2006 :: UPI :: Analysis

Uzi Rubin, former head of Israel’s missile defense program, argues in a new study published by the Institute for National Security Studies that Iran is now “the major missile power” in the Middle East. “No other country in the world … comes close to Iran in the number and variety of ballistic missiles in development or already deployed,” Rubin writes. He lists Iran’s assets: Shahab-3 medium-range missiles, an “an indispensable complement to [Iran’s] nuclear ambitions”; Scud B and Scud C short-range missiles, manufactured “in considerable quantities”; Zelzal short-range missiles, which can target troop concentrations; the Raad, an advanced version of the Chinese Silkworm anti-ship cruise missile; and an assortment of smaller anti-tank missiles. “Every major city and military installation between the western shores of Turkey and the eastern border of Pakistan and between the Black Sea in the north and the southern narrows of the Red Sea are within range,” he writes. Moreover, Iran can now hit any point in the Middle East from well-protected, fixed silos “survivable against preemption.” He warns: “There should be no doubt that in case of conflict, Iran will launch Shahab-3 missiles regardless of their flight test record, and that some of them will reach their destinations.” Rubin adds that Iran is also developing satellites, and that any suitably modified space launch vehicle can serve as an intercontinental ballistic missile. At the rate they are going, “Iranian missiles will dominate the entire continent of Europe by the end of this decade,” he concludes. (Article, Link)

» More stories on: Israel, Iran, Analysis

» Missile details: Shahab-6, Scud variant, Scud B/C/D variants, Zelzal-1/2/3

Iran Parades Shahab-3 Missiles in Tehran

September 22, 2006 :: AP :: News

Iran held a large military parade on September 22, marking the twenty-sixth anniversary of the Iran-Iraq War. The procession took place in southern Tehran near the shrine of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the father of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, and included two medium-range Shahab-3 ballistic missiles. The Shahab-3 is believed to have a range of between 1,200 and 2,000 km, and is capable of targeting Israel, Turkey, the Indian subcontinent, and U.S. forces stationed in Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Persian Gulf. Zelzal 1 and Nazeat missiles were also present, as well as battle tanks. Iranian Vice President Parviz Davoodi oversaw the parade, standing in for President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad who was in New York to address the U.N. General Assembly. In his speech, Davoodi stated that Iran’s armed forces would fight back “like lightning” against any attack from the enemies. “We can defend our motherland and the Islam, we want peace but we tell the expansionists not to try to launch an aggression against Iran,” he said. Iran conducted a similar parade on September 22 last year. (Article, Link)

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» Missile details: Shahab-6, Zelzal-1/2/3

Iran Builds Homegrown Missile Industry

August 5, 2006 :: Bloomberg :: News

Iran is building up its own missile industry using Chinese and Russian technology, reports Bloomberg. The Islamic Republic began developing its manufacturing capabilities in the 1980s during the Iran-Iraq War. With the threat from Saddam Hussein’s Iraq now gone, Tehran has “every intention of becoming a major regional power,” according to William Cohen, secretary of defense under President Bill Clinton, and intends to become self-sufficient in the production of weaponry, in particular ballistic missiles. Iran therefore no longer simply relies on imports from China, Russia, and North Korea, and has become adept at copying or even improving on those countries’ technologies. “The Iranians are at a stage now where they can build most of these weapons themselves locally,” said Guy Ben-Ari, a fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. Among Iran’s homemade missiles that it has exported to Hezbollah and perhaps other Islamic terrorist organizations are the Zelzal-2 short-range ballistic missile, which carries a 600-kilogram warhead; the Fajr-3 and Fajr-5 short-range ballistic missiles, which carry 90- and 175-kilogram warheads respectively; and the Noor (Tondar) radar-guided anti-ship cruise missile, an Iranian copy of the Chinese C-802 (CSS-N-8). (Article, Link)

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» Missile details: Zelzal-1/2/3

Iran Admits Supplying Zelzal-2 Missiles to Hezbollah

August 5, 2006 :: Jerusalem Post :: News

Iran has admitted supplying Zelzal-2 short-range ballistic missiles to the Hezbollah terrorist organization, reports The Jerusalem Post. Mohtashami Pur, Secretary-General of the Iranian “Intifada Conference” told an Iranian newspaper yesterday that Iran transferred the missiles so that they could be used to defend Lebanon.
The Zelzal-2 (“earthquake” in Farsi) is believed to have a range of anywhere from 120 to 400 kilometers, and would be capable of striking Tel Aviv if launched successfully. The Israeli Defense Force estimates that it has destroyed almost two-thirds of Hezbollah’s Zelzal-2 arsenal, according to The Jerusalem Post. (Article, Link)

» More stories on: Iran, Israel, Proliferation, Terrorism

» Missile details: Zelzal-1/2/3

Israel-Lebanon Conflict Fueled by Iran

July 21, 2006 :: Analysis

The ongoing conflict in Israel and Lebanon demonstrates the widespread character of the war on terrorism, the expanding regional influence of Iran, and, more specifically, the Islamic Republic’s complete willingness to proliferate ballistic and cruise missile technology to terrorist entities it considers to be political and military allies.
        Over the past week, Western intelligence officials and experts have concluded that the Iran-sponsored Lebanese terrorist organization, Hezbollah, has stockpiled enough firepower to sustain a protracted fight against the Jewish state that threatens all of northern Israel and possibly much further. Hezbollah (“The Party of God” in Arabic) is a Shiite organization that emerged during the Lebanese civil war in the early 1980s. It is the principal suspect for the 1983 suicide bombings of the U.S. embassy and Marine barracks in Beirut. Since the 1990s, Hezbollah has built up its forces in southern Lebanon with the help of Iran, and has been intermittently firing Katyusha rockets into northern Israel. The cheap, unguided, low-flying projectiles have a range of approximately 20 km and are capable of causing considerable damage when launched into dense civilian populations. Sources indicate that many of these rockets are manufactured in Iran. Over the past week, Hezbollah guerrillas have fired hundreds of Katyusha rockets into dozens of towns and cities across northern Israel, killing and wounding civilians in the heaviest bombardment in over a decade. Hezbollah is believed to have tens of thousands of Katyushas in its arsenal.
        More worrisome than the unsophisticated Katyusha rockets are the larger, more powerful ballistic and cruise missiles that Hezbollah has obtained through Iran. Israeli intelligence believes that Hezbollah possesses hundreds of Iranian-made Fajr-3 and Fajr-5 short-range ballistic missiles, which have ranges of 40 and 75 km respectfully and allow the terrorist organization to strike deep inside Israel. On July 14, an Israeli air strike destroyed at least one Iranian-made Zelzal-2 short-range ballistic missile, according to the AP. According to officials from the Israeli Defense Force, an Israeli aircraft targeted a truck carrying an unknown number of Zelzal-2 missiles, and the force of the blast sent at least one missile flying into the air. The Zelzal-2 (“earthquake” in Farsi) is believed to have a range of anywhere from 120 to 400 km, and would be capable of striking Tel Aviv if launched successfully.
        Hezbollah has also demonstrated that it possesses Iranian copies of Chinese cruise missiles. On July 14, Hezbollah guerrillas attacked Israel’s INS Hanit Eilat-class missile corvette with an Iranian-made Noor (Tondar) radar-guided anti-ship cruise missile, according to Jane’s Defense Weekly. The Noor is an Iranian copy of the Chinese C-802 (CSS-N-8), reported to have a range of approximately 200 km. Hezbollah guerrillas fired the missile from the Lebanese shore at the Hanit from a range of 16 km, which prevented the Israelis from activating the ship’s missile defense systems. A second Noor, also aimed at the Hanit, missed and instead hit a Cambodian merchant ship 60 km away, which sank although its crew members were rescued. Hezbollah is believed to possess dozens of Noor cruise missiles.
        Finally, Iran’s well-trained Revolutionary Guard is believed to be providing on-the-ground military advisers to Hezbollah with some level of coordination with Syria, according to Anthony Cordesman, the respected Middle East expert at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, as well as several U.S. officials. If this report is accurate, it means that the Islamic Republic has expanded well beyond its traditional role of financier, proliferator, and spiritual ally, and could in fact be the driving political and military force behind Hezbollah’s recent and future actions. (Link)

» More stories on: Analysis, Iran, Israel, Proliferation, Terrorism

» Missile details: Zelzal-1/2/3

Iran Parades Missiles

September 22, 2005 :: News

Iran conducted a military parade today to mark the anniversary of the start of the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war, the beginning of what Iran calls “holy defense” week. The parade took place conducted south of Tehran, near the tomb of Ayatollah Khomeini. At his first military parade since taking office, President Mamhoud Ahmadinejad addressed dozens of top Revolutionary Guard officials, as well as generals in the regular army. (The Revolutionary Guard operates Iran’s ballistic missiles.)“Those who decide to misuse our nation’s honour and dignity and want to test what has been tested in the past, should know that the flames of the nation’s wrath are very hot and destructive,” said Ahmadinejad. The parade’s announcer repeatedly cried “God is Great!” when six Shahab-3 missiles went past the presidential viewing platform. The announcer said too, “If world arrogance wants to attack Iran … [it] will destroy their countries with these missiles.” Some of the missiles had banners saying, “Israel should be wiped off the map” and “We will trample America under our feet,” “Death to America,” and “Death to Israel.” The banners and verbal attacks prompted a number of European military attaches, from France, Italy, Greece, and Poland, to leave the parade. One diplomat is quoted as saying, “there was a common position among the European Union members that, if the military parade included any slogans that attacked our allies, we would leave.”

The major media services report the display of the Shahab-3, but there were a number of others. According to a summary of the parade provided on live Iranian television (Vision of the Islamic Republic of Iran Network 1) and translated via BBC Monitoring, the missiles displayed included:

Shahab-3, 2,000km range
Zelzal 1 and Zelzal 2, range 150-400
M-11 Variant/Tondar-68, purchased from China, range 400km
Nazeat
“M-6”(see below)
HQ-2 air-/missile-defense system, purchased from China

The reference to an “M-6” missile may well be a typographical error. It more likely refers to the M-9 variant, which Iran purchased from China. The term “Nazeat,” however, has been used to describe a primitive 150km range missile.