Harpoon 4 Naval Sitrep 37 Iran

Issue #37 October 2009
(Iranian Air Defenses, cont fm page 11)
or launchers, Iranian sites have two or three.
The lack of launchers may be due to lack of
personnel needed to maintain a larger installation,
or was a cost-cutting plan when the
weapons were purchased.
While it is possible to find some
reasons for understrength SAM sites, this
also applies to their AAA. For example, the
Iranians have purchased a Chinese copy
of the Skyguard AA system, the Type 902.
The radar can control up to six twin 35mm
mounts, but overhead photos of installations
show only two guns being controlled
by each radar. The Iranians have the guns
and crews, so this is a mystery. The effects
are clear.
Short Range SAMs
The point defenses around the Natanz
facility are based on the Russian Tor-M1
[SA-15 Gauntlet] mobile SAM system.
Iran has purchased 29 of these systems.
There are four vehicles in a firing battery
and they are supported by a Kasta-2E2 early
warning radar and a Rangir-M command
and control vehicle. The Rangir-M keeps
track of the air picture for the entire Tor-M1
battery and can coordinate their engagements
out to a range of 16 nm.
Assuming that the launchers are
grouped in batteries of four, the Iranians
could field six batteries, with the remaining
five vehicles assigned to training and
maintenance. With two other nuclear sites
to protect, along with Teheran, it is likely
that only one battery would be assigned to
Natanz. However, given the 8 nm/15 km
range of the missile, the battery can provide
all-round coverage from low-level attack.
The vehicles are designed to operate autonomously,
although linking to the command
vehicle provides an integrated picture. If
the command vehicle links to a long-range
surveillance or acquisition radar, e.g., the
Kasta-2E2, then it can take advantage of
that information. Tor vehicles have been
photographed in the vicinity of Natanz.
Each vehicle has a Scrum Half 3D
acquisition radar and a phased-array illuminator
that can engage two targets simultaneously.
There is a secondary electro-optical
TV tracker with a range of 10.8 nm for
use during the day in heavy ECM environments.
Dedication or Obsession?
Several people have sent us links to
a spectacular project. Just go look and be
amazed.
http://www.geocities.jp/jun_brick/
yamato_m.html
Brooks said it best: “I thought I was
patient.”
BT
Naval SITREP Page 12
Doug Birtles (Order #25307632)