Rocket (MLRS) Artillery

Towed Artillery

***The Following is a Modified Excerpt from "Iranian Military Capability 2011"***

107 mm

12-round launcher (Fars News)

The 107 mm rocket system is a short range support weapon designed to provide saturation fire in a relatively mobile package. It can be used in both direct and indirect fire. Indirect fire sighting is accomplished by optics similar to mortar sights. The rocket most commonly has a contact fuse, but can also be equipped with a proximity fuse.

The single and double launchers are deployed in man portable configuration officially intended for use by irregular forces. This was displayed in Iraq when insurgents used 107 mm rockets in scattered attacks against US and GOI (government of Iraq) facilities.

The larger 12-round carriers can both be mounted directly on vehicles like the Safir, or towed behind trucks on a wheeled carriage, as well as being moderately man-portable.

There is also a naval variation which features a bank of 11 or 19 rockets which are gyro stabilized in an electrically controlled mount and with a rudimentary fire control. These are sometimes referred to as RL.2’s and RL.4’s which may be a slightly different earlier version.

These systems fire the unguided 107 mm Haseb rocket which is spin stabilized and can be fitted with an immediate or delayed impact fuse, and less commonly, a proximity fuse. It has an 8.5 m range and it carries a 6.39 kg HE or HEI warhead. The lethal radius is 12.5 m. They are sometimes referred to as the Fajr-1

Iranian-made 107 mm rocket heading towards Hezbollah (Israel MFA)

Specifications: Hasib Rocket
Caliber: 107 mm
Weight: 19 kg
Length: 83.7 cm
Max Range: 8.5 km
Warhead: 6.39 kg

122 mm
The 122 mm rocket systems are a step up from the 107 mm, transitioning from infantry support to full-size artillery designed to provide a high volume of rapid indirect fire against large area targets.

(Jamejam Online)

The HM-20-1 is actually closer to the 107 mm single and double launchers in terms of doctrinal use. Its single-launch nature means it's more ideally suited for irregular troops or a guerrilla insurgency.

The HM-20 is four banks of 10 tubes in two sections, which is one way to tell them apart from single large mass found on of the BM-11/21. The system is mounted on a variety of 6x6 vehicles such as the MAN truck pictured above. It features a hydraulic traversing and elevating system with electronic firing controls.

As with the 107 mm, a naval version also exists, the HM-23 which features an 8 or 16 barrel launcher. The HM-23 has also been used on ground vehicles, in one instance replacing the bed on a Land Cruiser truck.

In addition to this, Iran maintains sizable stocks of the original BM-11 and BM-21 MLRS launchers.

Some types use the same telescopic and panoramic sights as the BM-21 while others use an unknown fire-control system.

Three rocket types exist, all unguided, the first, the Noor, sometimes called the Arash 3, is the smallest and has the shortest range. The Arash 1 and Arash 2 provide a boost in the maximum range of the system. All of them can be carried in racks which facilitate quick reloading. Iranian 122mm rockets carry a basic HE warhead as well as AP and AT submunitions, while HE-FRAG, and fuel-air explosives are suspected. It carries both an impact and 'M-112K' proximity fuse. The rockets are both spin and fin stabilized.

Specifications: Arash-1 Rocket
Caliber: 122 mm
Weight: 65 kg
Length: 2.81 m
Max Range: 21.5 km
Warhead: 18.3 kg

Specifications: Arash-2 Rocket
Caliber: 122 mm
Weight: 72 kg
Length: 3.2 m
Max Range: 30 km
Warhead: 18.3 kg

Specifications: Noor/Arash-3 Rocket
Caliber: 122 mm
Weight: 45 kg
Length: 2.05 m
Max Range: 18 km
Warhead: 18.3 kg

Oghab
An early product of Iran's foray into indigenous artillery systems, the Oghab had several early setbacks, but eventually saw extensive use at the tail end of the Iran-Iraq war. It was heavily influenced by the Chinese Type-83 MLRS.

The Oghab is fired from a three rail launcher mounted on the back of a Mercedes Benz 4x4, it's static fins differentiating it from more traditional rocket artillery fired from tubes.

The rocket has a 45 km range and a 70 kg HE, HE-FRAG or chemical warhead and is spin and fin stabilized.

Rumors surround its possible deployment as an air-to-ground weapon, but if there were ever any truth to these rumors, it's unlikely to be deployed as such now.

The Oghab has likely been retired from service as it has largely been supplanted by newer systems and hasn't been seen since the time of the Iran-Iraq war.

Specifications: Oghab Rocket
Caliber: 230 mm
Weight: 360 kg
Length: 4.82 m
Barrels: 3
Max Range: 34-45 km
CEP: 500 m
Warhead: 70 kg

Falaq

Falaq-1 Launcher (M. Hussein at Military.ir)

Another short range weapon, the Falaq is similar to the Soviet BM-24 system.

The rockets are launched from a six cell launcher mounted on the back of a light tactical vehicle like a pickup truck. It requires stabilizers to be deployed before firing. Nothing is known about the Falaq-2 launch differences, though it probably remains the same with less total capacity due to size constraints.

However, a single tube, man-portable configuration is also possible and would then be used as the same manner as described in the 107 mm section, as a weapon primarily for irregular forces (pictured right).

Both rockets are short ranged, only being able to reach out 10-11 km, though they carry large warheads.

Specifications: Falaq-1 Rocket
Caliber: 240 mm
Weight: 111 kg
Length: 1.32 m
Max Range: 10 km
Warhead: 50 kg

Specifications: Falaq-2 Rocket
Caliber: 333 mm
Weight: 225 kg
Length: 1.82 m
Max Range: 10.8 kg
Warhead: 120 kg

Shahin

Sudanese Shahin (Youtube)

Another legacy of the Iran-Iraq war, the Shahin 1 and 2 are heavy, short-mid ranged weapons a step up from the Falaq. The Shahin 2 is a slightly larger and longer ranged version of the Shahin 1. They are both launched from rails reminiscent of the Nazeat or Oghab more then other MLRSs.

The rockets carry HE, HE-FRAG warheads with impact fuses and are fin-stabilized.

A version of the Shahin, the Shahin-3 has been adapted to air-to-surface attack.

The Shahin does not appear to be in extensive service.

Shahin-1 (MODLEX)

Specifications: Shahin-1 Rocket
Caliber: 333 mm
Weight: 498 kg
Length: 3.9 m
Max Range: 20 km
Warhead: 190 kg
ROF: 3 rd/min

Specifications: Shahin-2 Rocket
Caliber: 333 mm
Weight: 564 kg
 Max Range: 30 km
Warhead: 190 kg
ROF: 3 rd/min