| Country: |
Iraq |
| Class: |
IRBM |
| Basing: |
Surface based |
| Warhead: |
HE, chemical, possibly biological |
| Propulsion: |
Solid |
| Range: |
900-3000 km |
| Status: |
Terminated |
Details
In 1995, the United Nations weapons inspectors confirmed a total of four missiles in or near the intermediate-range ballistic missile classification. Reports from defectors had long claimed the existence of these programs, which were verified by the weapons inspectors. The interception of a shipment of 115 guidance gyros for use in missiles, reportedly salvaged from Russian SS-N-18 missile inertial guidance systems, reinforced these claims. The three missiles the United Nations confirmed had ranges of 900, 2,000 and 3,000 km (559, 1243 and 1864 miles). They also found a reference to an Al Hanza missile, a solid propellant missile with a range of 1,200 to 1,500 km (746 to 932 miles). Later reports state that the 3,000 km (1864 mile) range missile has a payload of 200 kg, which indicates an intention to equip it with a chemical or biological weapon. Another report in 2001 suggested that Iraq planned to equip the missile with nuclear warhead. Such a small payload would be unlikely to do sufficient damage to any strategic targets if equipped with conventional weapons. A 2002 United Kingdom government reported that work on a 1,200 km (746 mile) range liquid propellant ballistic missile re-started in 1998. The little known about the missile indicates that it is roughly similar to the North Korean No-dong 1/2.(1)
Footnotes
- heritage.org, "Iraq, SDI, and the Changing World," available at http://www.heritage.org/Research/MiddleEast/HL284.cfm, accessed on July 3, 2007.
