Khorramshahr-4 Missile

The Khorramshahr-4 missile is a medium-range, ballistic, rocket-propelled weapon. Its main characteristics are pin-point accuracy and destructive power as it is armed with an 1,800-kg warhead capable to penetrate into reinforced-concrete bunkers. First unveiled in early 2023 during test fire, the Khorramshahr-4 is propelled by a single-stage, liquid-fuel rocket. It can reach targets located at 3,500 km away, with precision, and it can sink a super aircraft carrier, hitting it in the middle of the flight deck. The missile shoots down vertically out of the sky like lightning at the speed of Mach 16. This is so, due to gravitational acceleration.

Like the others from the series, the Khorramshahr-4 missile was developed from the North Korean BM-25 missile; 25 meaning 2,500 km range. The Iranian engineers improved and upgraded its rocket and it presently has an effective range of 3,500 km. Thus, it can strike Diego Garcia airbase in the Indian Ocean. One of the most important improvements the Khorramshahr-3 underwent to become the Khorramshahr-4 is its detachable reentry vehicle (RV). Iranian defense engineers stated that the reentry vehicle is equipped with maneuvering capabilities designed to complicate missile defense interception efforts. This is managed through the controlled movable fins on the RV sides. Although much of the interior avionics and guidance architecture remain classified, it is known that the missile utilizes Beidou sytem, which is the Chinese GPS, as well as inertial navigation.

Although the missile is armed with a conventional HE warhead, the specifications of this hypersonic missile indicates that it could well be adapted for non-conventional payloads, like nuclear warhead. This is a concern that raises alarms in NATO countries. Ultimately, the Khorramshahr-4 is not just about firepower but it is also about warning, deterrence, and reshaping the strategic landscape in the Middle East. Thus, like the Sejjil missile, this dreaded weapon in the arsenal of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps allow Iran to exert geopolitical pressure to other actors in the international arena.

Specifications

Type: medium-range, ballistic missile

Total Weight: 20 tons

Warhead Weight: 1,800 kg (High Explosive)

Length: 13 m

Diameter: 1.5 m

Engine: liquid-fuel rocket

Fuel: hypergolic

Effective Range: 3,500 km

Accuracy: 10 m

Navigation System: Beidou; inertial

Sejjil

The Sejjil is an accurate, medium-range, ballistic missile, which is in active service with the Air Space Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps since 2014. First unveiled in 2008, today, it is the backbone of the strategic missile force which allows Iran to carry out precise strikes against enemy command centers, bunkers, telecommunication infrastructure, bridges, and power stations anywhere in the Middle East and Near East, as well as capable of hitting enemy surface warships, such aircraft carriers and destroyers sailing in the Persian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, Red Sea, and Eastern Mediterranean Sea.

The development of the Sejjil missile began at the end of the 1990s, using composite materials to build it. It was first used in combat action during the Twelve-Day War between Israel and Iran in 2025. This medium-range missile hit two mossad command centers and a military high-tech research center. It was designed and developed to replace the older Shahab-3 missile, which is a less accurate, slower liquid-fuel rocket projectile. The Sejjil is a much more advanced weapon than its predecessor as it flies at hypersonic speeds, especially during re-entry and descent towards its target. It is estimated that around 3,500 Sejjil missiles have been produced and kept in depots in military complexes deep in the Zagros Mountain range.

Technical Characteristics

The Sejjil missile is a solid-fuel, two-stage, ballistic missile, which carries a 1,000-kg warhead, which is enough to sink a super carrier. The first stage lifts it off the ground until it gains altitude, while the second stage boosts it higher into the upper layers of the Earth's atmosphere, reaching Mach 14 during its descent towards the ground. During its flight, the missile movable fins make quick and light adjustments to its trajectory to avoid being detected and intercepted. Since it is made of titanium and composite materials, it is lighter than conventional rockets and has an estimated maximum range of 2,600 km. Its solid-fuel rocket motor allows for fast mobile deployment so that it can be launched quickly, without delay, from anywhere in Iran, as it is carried in one piece on its platform on a truck, ready to be launched.

Specifications

Type: medium-range, surface-to-surface, hypersonic, ballistic missile

Weight: 22.5 tons

Warhead: 1,000-kg

Length: 18.2 m

Diameter: 1.25 m

Propulsion: two-stage rocket

Propellant: solid fuel

Maximum Speed: Mach 14

Range: 2,600 km

Accuracy: 15 m

Guidance: inertial navigation system

Above, the Sejjil in flight watched from the surface of the Earth at night. You can notice the change in its trajectory as it performs evasive maneuver.

The Iranian missile on its mobile platform ready to be launched

Map of the Middle East showing the 2,000-km geographical perimeter the Shahab-3 can reach and cover. The Sejjil goes well beyond the 2,000-km red line, reaching 2,600 km.

Raad-500

The Raad-500 is a short-range, hypersonic, tactical ballistic missile, which is part of the arsenal of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). It is an extremely precise weapon as it has an accuracy of 7-m, which means it can hit a very small area measuring 7 m in diameter, even if fired from a distance of 500 km. This amount to a lethal, out-of-the-blue, surgical strike. It is believed that this missile can be armed with a small nuclear warhead designed to sink large enemy aircraft carriers and destroy command centers that operate in deep underground bunkers. This high-tech, surface-to-surface, rocket-propelled projectile is another example and proof that Iran has one of the largest assortments of missiles in the world in its arsenal.

Technical Characteristics

The Raad-500 missile has an important construction feature which gives it an edge over the Western country missiles. It is lighter than other missiles of its type. Weighing about 1,800 kg, its casing is built with very advanced carbon fiber threads, instead of the heavy steel material employed in the past. Thus, using this material, it can also withstand extremely high temperature and pressure that arise from combustion. Due to its weight reduction, it has a greatly increased payload, which is estimated to be around 500 kg of high explosive, enough to wreak havoc on any enemy fleet.

The Raad-500 is also fitted with movable fins to enable it to change trajectory in flight to evade radar detection and AA defense system. Since it is a ballistic missile and not a cruise one, it means that, once launched, it soars up fast and high into the last layers of the Earth atmosphere to re-enter at the impressive speed of Mach 10, in a high arc trajectory. Therefore, it is almost impossible to intercept it. With a range of 500 km, it can destroy targets located anywhere in the Persian Gulf, the Straight of Hormuz, and the Gulf of Oman. This Iranian missile has yet another important characteristic; it has a detachable warhead, which means that the warhead separates from its body during the final descend phase to confuse enemy radars.

Specifications

Type: short-range, hypersonic ballistic missile

Weight: 1,800 kg (3,968.3 lb)

Length: 4.20 m

Diameter: 45 cm

Propulsion: Zohair, solid-fuel, rocket motor

Speed: Mach 10

Range: 500+ km

Guidance: GLONASS navigation satellite system and inertial.

The Raad-500 is powered by a Zohair, solid-fuel rocket.

Black-Shark Torpedo

The Black-Shark torpedo is an advanced and lethal naval weapon, which is in the arsenal of the Italian Navy since 2004. It is a heavyweight torpedo which was designed and produced by the Italian firm WASS Submarine System, whose specialty is the development and construction of torpedoes and sonars. It was conceived to be launched from both submarines and surface vessels. Its common platforms are the Italian Todaro-class submarine, which is a further development of the German Type 212A boat, and the Italian Orizzonte-class destroyers. It is also used by Spanish Navy's S-80 sub.

The Black-Shark torpedo was designed to counter menace by any type of surface warship, being capable of sinking large-size vessels. Since it is a heavyweight torpedo, with a 350-kg warhead, it can even sink large aircraft carriers. It can also be fired at any type of enemy submarine and hit it with precision. This underwater weapon can also be launched from the Norwegian Navy's Ula-class submarine.

Technical Characteristics

The Black-Shark is a powerful, long-range, and fully-stealth heavyweight torpedo, with a total weight of 1,600 kg. Once launched, it is guided by fiber-optic wire. It has non-Doppler shifted target discrimination capability. It is equipped with an electrical propulsion system and acoustic head shape, which was designed to reduce flow noise. The acoustic head of the Black-Shark, named ASTRA (Advanced Sonar Transmitting and Receiving Architecture), is a very advanced active and passive acoustic head for modern torpedoes. It is simple to interface with ship sensors and computing units.

Specifications

Type: heavyweight anti-ship and anti-submarine torpedo

Weight: 1,600 kg

Length: 6.3 m (21 feet)

Diameter: 533-mm (21 inches)

Warhead Weight: 350 kg

Warhead Type: High Explosive

Guidance: fiber-optic wire guidance communication link.

Propulsion: contra-rotating, direct-drive brushless electrical motor.

Range: 70 km

Maximum Speed: 50 knots (93 km/h)

Above, side view of the Black-Shark, which is 6.3 m in length.

Rear view of the torpedo shows the contra-rotating propeller blades.

P-500 Bazalt

The P-500 Bazalt (4K80) is a surface-to-surface, supersonic, anti-ship missile in the arsenal of the Russian Navy. It was developed by the Soviet Union between 1963 and 1974, entering service with the Soviet Navy in 1975. While the US Navy gave importance to the aircraft carrier, the Soviet Union defense minister considered it was more strategically efficient and cheaper to develop and manufacture anti-ship cruise missiles instead capable to sink an aircraft carrier from a long way off. Thus, the Soviets would develop a series of lethal anti-ship cruise missiles, of which the P-5 Pyatyorka was the first one. The 1982 Falkland War would prove that the Soviets were right as an Argentine Navy's French-made Exocet-39 cruise missile sank the British destroyer HMS Sheffield.

During the Cold War, the P-500 Bazalt was launched from the Juliet and Echo II class submarines. However, as these subs were withdrawn from service, today the Bazalt is launched from the Slava class cruisers and frigates. A submarine was able to successively launch eight P-500 missiles in a fast salvo, keeping communications with them. The missiles used a datalink system and were fed course updates if necessary. One of the missiles in the salvo would fly at a high altitude, up to 7,000 meters (23,000 feet), using its active radar seeker to hunt the target. The others would remain at medium to low altitude (down to about 30 meters / 100 feet), with their seekers in passive homing mode while acquiring targeting updates from the high-flying missile.

The first trials of the P-500 system began in 1969. After six years of tests, solving technical problems, the weapon system was finally introduced into service in 1975. Ten of the 29 ECHO II-class attack submarines were refitted to carry the P-500. The submarines could communicate with the targeting systems from periscope depth. They carried eight missiles each, usually six with conventional warheads and two with nuclear warheads. The P-500 Bazalt was also used by surface vessels, including the four KIEV-class cruiser-carrier vessels and four SLAVA-class cruisers. The KIEV ships had eight launchers forward, while the SLAVA-class cruisers have 16 launchers, and can use their Kamov Ka-27 Helix helicopters for over-the-horizon targeting. This missile was developed into the P-1000 Vulkan.

Specifications

Type: anti-ship cruise missile

Total Weight: 4,800 kg (10,580 pounds)

Warhead Weight: 1,000 kg (2,205 pounds), yielding 350 kt.

Warhead Type: High Explosive or nuclear

Length: 11.7 m (38 feet, 5 inches)

Diameter: 0.9 m (3 feet)

Wing Span: 2.6 m (8 feet, 6 inches)

Guidance System: semi-active radar homing; terminal active radar homing.

Maximum Speed: Mach 2

Range: 600 km

The P-500 Bazalt to be loaded aboard a cruiser.

24 cm Mörser M 98

The 24 cm Mörser M 98 was a heavy howitzer in service with the Austro-Hungarian Army between 1900 and 1918. It was used intensely during World War I in northern Italy and on the Eastern Front. It was fielded to attack and destroy fortifications and command posts. It was developed and built by the Czech manufacturer Skoda and it was based the German Krupp 24-cm Haubitze M1890. Although it was a powerful weapon, it was limited by its short range. Thus, it would be replaced by the 30.5 cm Morser M16, which also featured interrupted screw type breech and a hydro-spring recoil system.

The 24 cm Mörser M 98 was the first artillery piece with a modern recoil system to see service and combat action in the Austro-Hungarian Army. It could be disassembled into four loads to be transported by truck. On the front line, it was mounted on a fixed steel platform, which could be raised and lowered. It fired 133-kg (293-lb) shells up to 6.5 km away. It was used to attack bunkers and command posts during a siege. Since it had the elevation of a howitzer, it was also used against troops in the trenches of World War I. However, the first time the 24 cm Mörser M 98 was used in anger was during the Second Boer War (1899-1902) in South Africa by the British Army, which had acquired the weapon in 1900 and rechristened it: the ''BL 9.5-inch Howitzer Mk I.''

Specifications

Type: Heavy howitzer

Caliber: 240-mm

Shell: 133-kg (293-pounds) HE

Weight: 9,300 kg (20,500 pounds)

Barrel Length: 2.18 m (7 feet, 2 inches) L/9

Breech Type: interrupted screw

Recoil: hydro-spring

Elevation: +45 to +65 degrees

Transverse: 16 degrees

Muzzle Velocity: 278 m/s (912 ft/s)

Maximum Range: 6,500 m (7,100 yards).

Crew: 6

Above, the crew and two officers standing beside the 24-cm Morser on the Eastern Front in 1917, the year Russia withdrew from World War I due to the Bolshevik Revolution.

The feared Morser from Skoda mounted on its fixed steel platform in northern Italy.

30.5 cm M1911 Mörser (Schlanke Emma)

The 30.5 cm M1911 Mörser (Schlanke Emma) was a 305-mm siege howitzer used by the Austro-Hungarian Army during World War I, specially during the Austro-Hungarian invasion of Serbia in 1915. Produced by the Czech firm Skoda, it was also fielded by the Imperial German Army in the reduction of the Belgian forts during the 1914 offensive. During World War II, also the Wehrmacht would employ this heavy howitzer during the German invasion of Poland in 1939 and also during the siege of Sevastopol in Crimea in the 1942 military campaign.

Nicknamed 'Schlanke Emma', this 305-mm siege howitzer was transported to the battlefield in three pieces either by road (by the Austro-Daimler M12 tractor) or by train. Despite its heavy weight of 20.8 metric tons, it could be quickly assembled in 45 minutes. The barrel-containing cradle was mounted on a rotating steel base. It was equipped with a pair of recoil cylinders and an elevating wheel, which gave the 30.5 cm Mörser a maximum elevation of +75 degrees. It fired 384-kg concrete-piercing shells and had a maximum effective range of 9,700 m. In 1939, a four-wheel transport cart was designed and built to be towed by truck.

Specifications

Type: heavy siege howitzer

Caliber: 305-mm

Weight: 20,830 kg (20.8 tons)

Barrel Length: 3 m (10 feet), L/10

Breech Type: horizontal sliding block

Elevation: 0 to +75 degrees

Traverse: 120 degrees

Muzzle Velocity: 340 m/s

Rate of Fire: 12 rounds per hour

Maximum Firing Range: 11,300 m (12,400 yards)

Crew: 17

Above, the 305-mm siege howitzer mounted on its steel platform.

A schematic picture showing its different parts.

Above, the Schlanke Emma on its transport cart.