Deploying sea Cruise missiles on air fighters and helicopters has been one of techniques focused upon by the commanders and experts in Iran’s defensive industry as dealing with marine threats posed by the enemy.
Project Qaem was one such project dedicated to deploying Nour120Km-range air-to-surface missiles on Army fighters.
Project Qaem; Nour Cruise missile deployment on fighters
Nour Cruise missile is the most famous and most produced sea Cruise used in marine drills of the IRGC and Army Navy. These missiles would be used in targeting floating targets, oil platforms, and marine strongholds of the enemy as ground-based, sea-based and air-based. The 200 Km-range Qader Cuise missiles was unveiled in August 21 2012 by the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, but at that time western media propaganda that the story of Iran developing such missiles had been false, and that Iranians had a foreign replica of the missile. No sooner than they had launched the propaganda that Defense Ministry delivered more than 20 Qader new missiles to IRGC and Army Navy, to show that the Islamic republic of Iran, not only designed and developed the missile, but also it produced in factory scale in short time since unveiling.
Qader Cruise missile
Images of launching Qader missile from coastal areas to surface and floating targets show confidence on high range of the missile and its targeting systems. The Defense Minister said during delivery ceremony that like its previous model, this missile can be launched in three methods of ground-based (launched from coastal areas), sea-based (launched from floating systems) and air-based.
Launching Qader Cruise missile from coast
Autopilot system, high-precision navigation system, pre-launched programming, capability of low-profile radar targeting, advanced radar system capable of dealing with electronic war, preparation and immediate reaction to attack targets and capability to inflict damage to ground targets are among the capabilities of Qader Cruise missile. After launching the missile in naval drills, which demonstrated its capability to be launched from coastal and floating launchers, the air-based version of Qader deployed during the National Army Day ceremony, indicated that deploying project of this missile on air fighters has been successful, and now the time has come for deploying 200Km-range missiles on air fighters and helicopters; which widens the Army scope in dealing with airborne threats.
Air-based Qader missile during National Army Day parade
A common feature of using Qader on air fighters and helicopters is that given the long range, launchers can be deployed in a distance far away from enemy floating systems, and on the other hand, cut the scope of safe zone for enemy warships maneuvering, and thus, increasing the likelihood that enemy systems would be kept at bay, thus more vulnerable to damage. Along with Fakour air-to-air system (capable of targeting F-14 fighters), this system is air-based achievement deployed during National Army Day ceremony.
SH/EA
MNA
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