Saudi Arabia to begin receiving Thunder-2 ballistic missile system in 2022

[Zarvan]

Photo by Yuzhnoye Design Office


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The Saudi Arabia’s military is expected to receive new mobile Thunder-2 short-range ballistic missile system in 2022.

Saudi Arabia is in the middle of receiving first components of the Thunder-2 ballistic missile, which has been jointly developed by King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) and Ukrainian Yuzhnoye Design Office, to conducts first firing test in September or October 2019, a Saudi military source told Defence Blog on 3 January.

“The first batch of engines, spare parts and different conventional warheads were delivered to Saudi Arabia for the first phase of the test programme,” said the source, adding that the Saudi Arabian Armed Forces is expected to have the first Thunder-2 ballistic missile system ready for use by 2022.




The new Thunder-2 ballistic missile, also named Grom-2, has a range from 50 to 280 km and is designed to ensure survivability and quick deployment, as well as carrying a variety of warheads to target enemy facilities, assembly areas, artillery, and other targets behind the front lines.

It is based on the Ukrainian ‘Sapsan’ mobile short-range ballistic missile system. The Thunder-2 system is equipped with two solid-propellant single-stage guided missiles with several different conventional warheads, including a cluster munitions warhead and a high explosive-fragmentation warhead. Each one is controlled throughout the entire flight path.

The warheads will have semi-active and active target seeker systems. The system combines an electro-optical guidance system and radar tracker.

Saudi Arabia has been reported to have covertly financed Resaerch & Development work on new missile system, to the tune of about $68 million dollars.

https://defence-blog.com/news/saudi...4g5nH1u7wCxtIH7sadClO0huR1b7tm9udhyGCnMhEegBM

 

[ZAC1]

pakistan sa missile technology la lo....below 300km n easy thing for us....

 

[The SC]

pakistan sa missile technology la lo....below 300km n easy thing for us....

The Grom-2 BM is the Equivalent of the Russian Iskander....read a bit about it.. it is quite unique!

"The Iskander was designed to evade missile defenses. According to Missile Threat, the weapon can maneuver at more than 30g during its terminal phase. It’s also equipped with decoys to spoof interceptor missiles. As such, the Iskander is extremely difficult to intercept with current missile defense technologies."

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/why-russias-iskander-missile-killer-26216
https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/why-russias-iskander-missile-killer-26216
*The range of the first batch of Grom-2 is 300 km, in compliance with the MTCR.. but the following Saudi versions that will be made locally will have a longer range..most likely 500 km..

 

[Philip the Arab]

You know its CEP? I assume its good.

 

[The SC]

You know its CEP? I assume its good.

35 to 50 m

 

[Kompromat]

We missed this boat.

 

[The SC]

The Grom-2 also was designed to overcome air defense systems, a missile can follow an aero-ballistic path at altitudes from 11 to 50 km, performing evasive maneuvers in the terminal phase of flight to penetrate missile defense systems..

 

[Hack-Hook]

*The range of the first batch of Grom-2 is 300 km, in compliance with the MTCR.. but the following Saudi versions that will be made locally will have a longer range..most likely 500 km..

35 to 50 m

well , the 35-50m is good for ballistic missile , but are you sure if you tinker with the missile and increase the range it'll still be that accurate ?

By the way is it Hrim or Grom ?

 

[Philip the Arab]

The Grom-2 also was designed to overcome air defense systems, a missile can follow an aero-ballistic path at altitudes from 11 to 50 km, performing evasive maneuvers in the terminal phase of flight to penetrate missile defense systems..

@The SC

well , the 35-50m is good for ballistic missile , but are you sure if you tinker with the missile and increase the range it'll still be that accurate ?

By the way is it Hrim or Grom ?

Sorry for answering for the SC but I thought I could answer this myself. To my knowledge they aren't "tinkering it" and more of adding more fuel. Its not like how Saddam did his Scud missiles upgradesThe first development, called Al-Hussein or Project 1728, with a range of 400 miles, allowed the Iraqi army to attack deep inside the Iranian boundaries. The range was extended by reducing the original 945 kg warhead to 500 kg and increasing the propellant capacity. Modern day guidance is GPS,inertial;etc so no I don't think it will have less accuracy. It goes by both Hrim-2 and Grim-2 I think. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hrim-2_(missile_system)

 

[Hack-Hook]

Modern day guidance is GPS,inertial;etc so no I don't think it will have less accuracy. It goes by both Hrim-2 and Grim-2 I think. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hrim-2_(missile_system)

If they use military grade GPS , I don't think that's wise move , it's investing in a system and then gave a kill switch for it to another country and civillian grade GPS won't work at the speed and altitude of Ballistic missiles .

 

[Philip the Arab]

@The SC

Sorry for answering for the SC but I thought I could answer this myself. To my knowledge they aren't "tinkering it" and more of adding more fuel. Its not like how Saddam did his Scud missiles upgradesThe first development, called Al-Hussein or Project 1728, with a range of 400 miles, allowed the Iraqi army to attack deep inside the Iranian boundaries. The range was extended by reducing the original 945 kg warhead to 500 kg and increasing the propellant capacity. Modern day guidance is GPS,inertial;etc so no I don't think it will have less accuracy. It goes by both Hrim-2 and Grim-2 I think. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hrim-2_(missile_system)

Also, @The SC have you heard of Pulsejets https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulsejet? Very simple to make compared to other jets and powered the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V-1_flying_bomb during WW2 and only cost them a whopping 8000 usd in todays dollars. I think if refined and made more accurate it could be a very cheap cruise missile but the sound might give it away saying that you can hear it from ten miles away. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V-1_flying_bomb
Do you think it could still be viable today for COIN purposes although the pulse jet is very loud?

 

[The SC]

Also, @The SC have you heard of Pulsejets https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulsejet? Very simple to make compared to other jets and powered the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V-1_flying_bomb during WW2 and only cost them a whopping 8000 usd in todays dollars. I think if refined and made more accurate it could be a very cheap cruise missile but the sound might give it away saying that you can hear it from ten miles away. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V-1_flying_bomb
Do you think it could still be viable today for COIN purposes although the pulse jet is very loud?

The Gom-2 is a whole system of missiles, there is this TBM, there is a cruse missile called Koshun, another naval cruise missile, a coastal defence system and air-defence missiles..maybe there is even more..

@The SC

Sorry for answering for the SC but I thought I could answer this myself. To my knowledge they aren't "tinkering it" and more of adding more fuel. Its not like how Saddam did his Scud missiles upgradesThe first development, called Al-Hussein or Project 1728, with a range of 400 miles, allowed the Iraqi army to attack deep inside the Iranian boundaries. The range was extended by reducing the original 945 kg warhead to 500 kg and increasing the propellant capacity. Modern day guidance is GPS,inertial;etc so no I don't think it will have less accuracy. It goes by both Hrim-2 and Grim-2 I think. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hrim-2_(missile_system)

The normal range of the Grom-2 is 500 km..that is what will be made in KSA.. but the first batch will come from Ukraine and it is MTCR compliant so 280 Km..

 

[gangsta_rap]

We missed this boat.

Dealing with ukraine appeared to be risky because of the russia troubles - but they held out and their companies will hold out for a long while