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Featured Iran's Anti-Ship ballistic Missile Capability

SM-6 class interceptors are equipped with cutting-edge seekers (AMRAAM technologies incorporated) to obtain lock(s) on incoming target(s) and capable of executing extremely high-G maneuvers while in the process to engage them (vastly superior maneuverability factor).

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SM-6 seeker and terminal guidance electronics derive from technology developed in the Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile program. - DOT&E

SM-6 retains the legacy Standard Missile semi-active radar homing capability. - DOT&E

SM-6 receives midcourse flight control from the Aegis Weapon System (AWS) via ship’s radar; terminal flight control is autonomous via the missile’s active seeker or supported by the AWS via the ship’s illuminator. - DOT&E

While inherent capabilities of the interceptor are important considerations, they benefit from inputs coming from the incredibly sophisticated Aegis Combat System for the needful.
Aster 30, another ship / land based BMD capable missile
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The green is part is merely revelation of Dr. Loren Thompson whose quote I shared in post # 19 - not a lie. Your interpretation of the incident on the other hand...

The USS Enterprise experienced a series of powerful explosions in short order (multiple 500 pound munitions exploding in a row >> one ASBM in terms of causing damage to the flight deck and beyond). The damage control parties went to work in earnest, getting the fire under control in less than an hour, and fully extinguishing it after three hours - earlier incidents of Oriskany (CVA 34) and Forrestal (CVA 59) were instructive in this regard. Casualties were surprisingly low due to compartmentalization factor. The USS Enterprise remained functional through the ordeal and returned to port on the same day for repairs - there was no need to tow it. Now this was the case in 1969 when aircraft carriers were relatively lacking in survivability - this incident was particularly instructive in regards to improving survivability of aircraft carriers in the long-term. Modern aircraft carriers feature higher levels of compartmentalization, higher levels of armoring, superior damage control measures, and superior defenses in comparison.

Carriers are nearly impossible to sink. Because of their vast size, U.S. aircraft carriers have hundreds of water-tight compartments. They also have thousands of tons of armoring, and redundancy built into major on-board systems such as the electrical wiring. So that one weapon that might penetrate a layered defense isn’t likely to do great damage to the carrier. The vessel won’t sink, and the crew will probably be able to work around whatever damage is incurred to continue performing their mission. The size of the carrier that some pundits fear makes it vulnerable to attack actually makes it more resilient than any other warship.

LINK: https://www.forbes.com/sites/lorent...he-safest-places-to-be-in-a-war/#9abb9b32f7ac

The ASBM is expected to breach the flight deck upon impact given its velocity but the extent of damage will be mitigated through extensive levels of compartmentalization and armoring. Flight deck width is massive as well (252 feet across). There will be casualties as well but it is possible for a modern aircraft carrier to absorb an ASBM strike or two and keep functioning. This is assuming that an ASBM gets through in the first place.



This report is a good share, particularly for those who are not in touch with rocket sciences in theory and practice.

There is also the tendency to assume in Public discourses that missile defense programs are shaped by traditional and/or limited set-of-assumptions and actual rocket sciences are overlooked in practice. This is FALSE.

American companies are putting together a wide range of rocket designs to serve as targets for the missile defense regime, and these rocket designs are not bereft of maneuverability considerations - supposed to simulate a wide range of existing and even emerging threats (prototypes).

American companies continue to receive contracts for developing simple and complex targets for the missile defense regime. Examples below.



Some countries spend that much on procuring a new strike platform.

It is obvious that Americans adhere to a costly testing regime to make sure that American defensive applications will deliver results when the situation demands it - reliability and consistency are important considerations in short.

Testing record of SM-6 class interceptors have not received much publicity (intentional censorship) because these interceptors were pitted against complex targets on average (Category 3 - 5) and defeated each.


During FTM-27 Event 1, in December 2016, an Aegis Baseline 9.C1 destroyer (which hosts the Aegis BMD 5.0 Capability Upgrade) engaged a complex medium-range ballistic missile target with a salvo of two SM-6 Dual I missiles. FTM-27 Event 1 was the first demonstration of Aegis BMD Sea-Based Terminal capability against complex ballistic missile targets. - DOT&E

During FTM-27 Event 2, in August 2017, an Aegis Baseline 9.C1 destroyer engaged a complex medium-range ballistic missile target with a salvo of two SM-6 Dual I missiles. The test, which was a follow-on from FTM-27 Event 1, further demonstrated aspects of the Baseline 9.C1 Sea-Based Terminal engagement capability. - DOT&E

SM-6 class interceptors are equipped with cutting-edge seekers (AMRAAM technologies incorporated) to obtain lock(s) on incoming target(s) and capable of executing extremely high-G maneuvers while in the process to engage them (vastly superior maneuverability factor).

sbt2.png


SM-6 seeker and terminal guidance electronics derive from technology developed in the Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile program. - DOT&E

SM-6 retains the legacy Standard Missile semi-active radar homing capability. - DOT&E

SM-6 receives midcourse flight control from the Aegis Weapon System (AWS) via ship’s radar; terminal flight control is autonomous via the missile’s active seeker or supported by the AWS via the ship’s illuminator. - DOT&E

While inherent capabilities of the interceptor are important considerations, they benefit from inputs coming from the incredibly sophisticated Aegis Combat System for the needful.


FYI

In order for enemies to attack a carrier, they must successfully complete a complex sequence of events that the Navy calls a "kill chain." First the carrier must be found; then its location must be fixed; then a track of its movement must be established; then the carrier must be engaged; and finally, the results of the engagement must be assessed. In practice, each of these steps consists of a series of subsidiary tasks. Like broken links in a chain, if any of the tasks in the kill chain is not accomplished in a timely fashion, the entire process breaks down. In the event of hostilities, the Navy plans to disrupt every step in an enemy’s kill chain, from strikes against sensors searching for carriers to jamming of enemy command links to interception of weapons seeking to engage the carrier. Several features of the carrier strike group severely impede any adversary’s ability to execute an effective attack:

  • Carriers are always moving, so even if found they can disappear into hundreds of square miles of ocean within minutes.
  • Carrier air wings can intercept and destroy enemy combat systems long before they get anywhere near the carrier.
  • Carriers deploy with surface, air and undersea escorts that can defeat diverse overhead, surface and submerged threats.
  • Carrier sensors are netted with those of other friendly assets to assure optimum detection and targeting of nearby threats.
  • Carriers are nearly impossible to sink given their extensive armoring and hundreds of watertight compartments.

Source: https://www.lexingtoninstitute.org/...-Logic-of-Aircraft-Carrier-Strike-Groups2.pdf

BAE‘s HVP shell fired from any standard artillery canon is now capable of intercepting ballistic missiles as per public claims. The hypersonic shell is way cheaper than Patriot, THAAD and SM6. The artillery when connected to the Advanced Battle Management System gives the US one more option against all types of. saturation attacks , ballistic or cruise missiles , drones and aircraft.
 
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Good read my friend. Few points to say here. Americans are certainly not an easy nut to crack, given their tremendous budgets for one thing. The developments you outlined above are all being watched and considered very closely by Iran, I can confirm this by just the OSINT data. Broadly speaking, I think the realities of warfare tend to almost always depart from ones theories and predictions. The existence of hidden tactics and assets by all these sides in question is one factor causing this. Therefore our discussion here was in essence in isolation away from these hidden factors. In terms of how these systems we've discussed would actually perform in the complex environment of real world wars is something we can hope to never find out. One alternative way to measure the potency of these systems is that deterrence factor we've discussed already. I think there is no question Iran has obtained (at minimum) deterrence and has now shifted to the next level where it is causing its adversaries to actively seek deterrence against it. I assumed you are not a Persian speaker, if you were I could have provided you with discussion with Iranian military officials that give insights into these issues in a much deeper ways that anyone us outside of those spheres.
Absolutely.

Iranian advances in the domain of Ballistic Missiles among others are nothing short of remarkable.

I corrected one of the members in the following thread: https://defence.pk/pdf/threads/azerbaijan-armenian-war.686059/page-103#post-12727685

The prospects of a ballistic missile having sufficient accuracy to close in towards a moving ship at hypersonic speeds are terrifying to the extent of creating a deterrence effect.

Credit where due.
 
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An aircraft carrier such as Nimitz class and the latest Ford class feature hundreds of compartments (each can be sealed) coupled with layers of armoring, firefighting arrangements, and numerous Passive/Active defenses to counter a wide range of external threats which are not openly discussed in the Public domain (kinda surprising, right?). These ships are also among the fastest moving in the world - it is virtually impossible to keep tabs on them in OPEN OCEAN.

These ships do not travel alone either - they are shielded by a number of well-equipped destroyers, cruisers, and even submarines while on the move. Secondly, all those aircraft and helicopters stationed on the aircraft carrier have a purpose - that is to create situational awareness for the entire strike package and attack enemy forces when spotted.

Iranians drills cannot simulate all of the above - not even close. No country can in fact (impossible).

Why do you think China is pouring funds into developing and replicating American CSG level capabilities for PLAN even though it have substantial investment in ASBM and such? A question worth pondering...

Man we know Raytheon has a big $1 billion worth, early warning radar in Qatar with a range of 5,000km many vessels in the Persian Gulf and Thaad and Hawk and Patriot in Saudi , yet they don't know trajectory of some slow drones and cruise missiles !
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How they want to intercept a supersonic maneuverable ballistic missile ?
 
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Man we know Raytheon has a big $1 billion worth, early warning radar in Qatar with a range of 5,000km many vessels in the Persian Gulf and Thaad and Hawk and Patriot in Saudi , yet they don't know trajectory of some slow drones and cruise missiles !
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How they want to intercept a supersonic maneuverable ballistic missile ?
This radar system is under construction: https://defpost.com/raytheon-awarded-9-million-in-support-of-qatar-early-warning-radar-qewr/

In February 2017, AFLCMC awarded a $1.06 billion contract to Raytheon Corp. for early warning radar construction in Qatar. It was announced at the time that the radar is expected to be completed June 2021.

Regarding Iranian attack on Abqaiq oil refinery:


They would have known through advanced surveillance technologies in use. However, American security agencies do not share sensitive data with foreign entities and do not provide details to the Public.

The attack was well-planned and executed: https://defense-update.com/20190914_aramco_attack.html

Cruise missiles and UAVs can be made to fly at low altitudes for substantial reduction in visibility to regional defenses, and even if spotted and tracked in real-time through powerful surveillance assets from afar, the responsibility of defeating them will fall on the shoulders of regional defenses. If regional defenses are lacking in coverage and more - TOUGH LUCK
 
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Author: Philosopher
Topic: Short article on Iran's anti-ship ballistic missiles

In February 2011, Iran revealed a new ballistic missile called "Persian Gulf" (PG), this missile was a development on the Iranian Fateh-110 "quasi" ballistic missile but with an Electro-Optic seeker. What made this missile specially important was the fact it was designed specifically for anti-ship roles meaning at the time, Iran and China were the only two nations that had anti-ship ballistic missiles in service. The PG missile has a range of 300km, 650kg warhead, speed of Mach-3 (terminal) and CEP of around 1-2 meters making it an extremely potent weapon against the fleets of Iranian adversaries in the Persian Gulf.


Persian Gulf missile:

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Persian Gulf missile in action:

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A few years later, in 2014, Iran revealed two new addition to its anti-ship ballistic missile arsenal, namely Hormuz-1 and Hormuz-2 both also developed from the Fateh-110. Hormuz-1 was possibly the world's first anti-radiation ballistic missile in active service, meaning this missile is designed to home onto the electromagnetic waves given off by a naval vessel's radars. The other missile, Hormuz-2, has an Active radar seeker. In terms of overall capability (range, warhead etc), they are similar to the previous Persian Gulf missile but they have a faster terminal velocity.

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Hormuz-1 and Hormuz-2 missiles.

Hormuz-1 anti radiation missile used against radar target


The combination of the above missiles utilising three different types of seekers is a very potent offensive capability as they give the adversaries multiple seeker types to content with, for example, the existence of the anti radiation missile will make any radar emitting vessels vulnerable, putting defenders in a relatively more difficult position. Do you keep radars on and be vulnerable to this missile or limit your radar emissions and as a consequence become much more vulnerable to other threats? Of course Electronic warfare could in theory be used as a countermeasure but the missile designers have taken electronic warfare into account. Another important point to keep in mind about the above systems is that they are designed to fired together in volleys as demonstrated by Iran in the recent naval war-games (see below). In other words, the adversary will not be dealing with these systems in a consecutive manner but all at once.

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Persian Gulf, Hormuz-1 and Hormuz-2 fired simultaneously against naval target.


A significant leap in range
Iran's missile program is extremely dynamic with new advancements being made on a near monthly basis. When Iran revealed its longer range versions of the Fateh-110 family called Zolfiqar missile with a 700-750km range in 2017, people immediately talked about this missile also having an anti-ship variant. And in September 2020 those people were proven right when Iran showcased an anti-ship variant of Zolfiqar missile called Zolfiqar Basir using an Electro-optic seeker and a range of 700-750km. This means the range of Iran's anti-ship ballistic missile were at minimum now doubled compared to the previous missiles. Something else to bare in mind is that is the Zolfiqar Basir is certainly not a "new" missile and instead has certainly been around for a while. Given other longe range missiles in Iran's arsenal such as Dezfoul (1000km range), Haj Qassem (1400-1800km range) and Sejill (see below) it is safe to say Iran has even longer anti ship ballistic missiles.


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Zolfiqar Basir anti-ship ballistic missile with 700-75-km range.


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Zolfiqar Basir Electro-optic seeker visible


The future

For many years now Iran has talked about the existence of an anti-ship ballistic missile with 2000-3000km range. The existence of this missile has been confirmed by the head of IRGC's aerospace force, General Hajizadeh. Therefore, we can be certain of this missile's existence and readiness but what is hindering its full operation capability is Iran's current lack ability to detect and track ships at those long distances in order to use this missile effectively. However, with Iran's rapidly growing UAV, radar and satellite capabilities we can be sure that in the near future Iran will reach the technological means to be able to target ships at those ranges. To conclude, Iran is one of few nations on the planet actively fielding anti-ship ballistic missiles and these are constantly increasing in potency. These missiles, especially when combined with Iran's other offensive capabilities (such as UAVS) give it a highly effective area/access denial capability at the sea (and land). We will watch Iran's development in this area closely and with excitement to see what other capabilities will be developed by Iran.

References:

1- https://www.mashreghnews.ir/news/224818/دقت-موشک-خلیج-فارس-به-زیر-۱۰-متر-رسید

2- https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/iransource/iran-s-ballistic-missile-inventory/

3-https://www.yjc.ir/fa/news/6947668/%D8%A2%D8%B2%D9%85%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%B4-%D9%85%D9%88%D8%B4%DA%A9-%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D8%B2%D9%86-%D9%87%D8%B1%D9%85%D8%B2-%DB%B1-%D9%81%DB%8C%D9%84%D9%85

4- https://en.farsnews.ir/newstext.aspx?nn=13990706000932

5- https://www.youtube.com /watch?v=1RcvQRuVJyA
iran has shown its missile guidance capabilities recently during attacks on american bases. so wont be surprised even if they could attack a moving target like AC
 
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I still think that swarms of sea skimming stealthy cruise missiles are a greater threat to a carrier group rather than ballistic missiles for the foreseeable future @LeGenD
 
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I still think that swarms of sea skimming stealthy cruise missiles are a greater threat to a carrier group rather than ballistic missiles for the foreseeable future @LeGenD

Low Observable (LO) cruise missiles are currently mostly of subsonic nature, meaning once they're detected they're relatively easy to deal with. With the sensor capability of the Americans, relying on mere LO nature of these cruise missiles is not enough as anti-fleet weapons. Note I use the word "fleet" and not just "ship" because US-Navy (carrier groups) function as a whole, i.e fleet and not isolated vessels. Ballistic missiles although "easier" to detect, are relatively more difficult to shoot down, especially the types of MaRVs I have spoken about in this thread. The likelihood of a hit by ballistic missiles is higher (and much more damaging) than subsonic missiles, although to calculate how likely would need more in-depth discussions. Also Just to remind us of an archaic tactic: Regardless of your offensive system, if you can saturate the enemy's defences, you will eventually get through.

Now, regarding real life scenarios, here you do not have to choose between ballistic vs cruise missiles. In the case of Iran, ballistic missiles and air breathing anti ship systems will be used simultaneously. Although not an inherently LO system, Iran's most recent anti ship cruise missile called "Muhandis" has a range of over 1000km but for reason I already mentioned, its functionality against the US-Navy is not "game changing". Iran is also working on supersonic air breathing missiles for anti ship roles and is moving very fast in this direction.

Hypersonic cruise missiles are a different beast all together. Their combination of speed and manoeuvrability gives a great lethality, much more so than LO subsonic systems. But the technology to produce them is currently not ubiquitous and I have no information regarding Iran's ambitions in this area. Iran is working on Hypersonic Glide Vehicles (HGV) and I am sure after the introduction of Iranian supersonic systems that we'll hear about Iran's plans in the hypersonic cruise missile arena.
 
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An interesting visual representation of the range of Iran's "Zolfiqar Basir" anti-ship ballistic missile. The second image shows the location of various American aircraft carriers when they were staying out of the Persian Gulf.

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Why do you think China is pouring funds into developing and replicating American CSG level capabilities for PLAN even though it have substantial investment in ASBM and such? A question worth pondering...

Becos missile cannot do global power projection alone. Only a carrier fleet can do that. Including enforcing no fly zone on another continent for it's maritime protection.

Carrier fleet is effective against hapless enemies or small countries but hopeless against major power especially with ballistic missile. Still as a major trading power. China navy need a blue water fleet to project power across ocean.
 
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