Sunday, May 5, 2013

A closer look at the so called target of these Israeli airstrikes

Israel has now made 3 airstrikes inside Syria against so called convoys heading Hezb-allah's way containing Fateh-110 surface to surface missiles. So just what is it about the Fateh-110 that Israel doesn't like?

About
The Fateh-110, or "Conqueror" in Farsi, is a short-range ballistic missile developed by Iran and first put into service in 2002. The Islamic Republic unveiled an upgraded version last year that improved the weapon's accuracy and increased its range to 300 kilometers (185 miles).

Statistics
The missile is 8.86 m long, 0.61 m in diameter, and weighs 3,450 kg. It uses a single-stage solid propellant engine and has a range of 210 km (130 miles). The missile might be as accurate as 100 m CEP using a combination of inertial guidance and a Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) system, though some sources suggest that the accuracy is much lower, as they do not think that the missile is capable of much inflight maneuvering or correction. It can carry a payload of some 500 kg and is most likely intended to deliver a high explosive, chemical, or sub-munitions warhead. The possibility remains, however, that Iran could deploy the Fateh A-110 with biological or nuclear warheads.

History
The first test flight of the Fateh A-110 took place in May 2001, with a second in September of 2002. A third test was recorded in February 2003. A fourth test was successfully completed during the second Holy Prophet military exercise in November 2006. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard successfully tested the Fateh in January of 2007 during an annual war game. A fifth successful test was completed in September 2007 alongside the Qadr-1 and the Shahab-3. Additionally, unconfirmed reports suggest that at least five more tests have occurred since 2008. During its tests, the Fateh A-110 was fired from a fixed launcher similar to the one used by the Russian S-75 Guideline surface-to-air missile. However, it is more likely that Iran has designed a launch vehicle to make Fateh A-110 road mobile. The launch vehicles are probably converted Scud launchers, trucks, or Zelzal-2 launch vehicles. Reports indicate that the Fateh A-110′s tactical use is similar to that of a Scud system. Although Iran has improved the missile’s overall ability, its accuracy makes the Fateh A-110 ineffective against moving military targets. However, the missile is capable of hitting most large military targets such as bases and airfields.

Why Israel is taking out these missiles:
Israel worries that these missiles could be transferred to Lebanon's Hezbollah, providing a major boost to the Shiite terrorist group's arsenal. The Fateh-110 is more accurate than anything Hezbollah is currently known to possess.The missile would put almost all of Israel in range, and its precision guidance system poses a threat to Israeli infrastructure and military installations.

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