Two Hormuz-2 ballistic missiles, fired from a navy vessel, have been successfully tested by the Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
A medium-range missile is test-fired by Iran near the Strait of Hormuz in 2012. (Reuters)
Iranian Revolutionary Guards, also known as the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), has successfully tested the Hormuz-2 ballistic missile, designed to destroy moving targets at sea at a distance of up to 300 km (180 miles), the Iranian Tasnim news agency reported. Reportedly, the missile was fired from a navy vessel.
Commander of the IRGC’s Aerospace Force, Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, confirmed that “the naval ballistic missile called Hormuz-2 successfully destroyed a target which was 250 km away.”
According to Tasnim, the Hormuz missiles (the Hormuz-1 and Hormuz-2) are similar to the Khalij Fars anti-ship coastal missiles by its applicability and characteristics. One of the founders of the Iranian missile program, Major General Hassan Tehrani Moghaddam, participated in the development of this type of weapons. In November 2011, Moghaddam was killed by an explosion during a missile test at a military facility, located 40 km to the south-west of Tehran. At least 20 Iranian servicemen became victims of the incident.
This weekend, Iran also tested two Fateh-110 ballistic missiles, equipped with a new “active seeker,” helping the missile locate ships at sea, into the Gulf of Oman. According to reports, one of the missiles destroyed a floating barge, situated about 250 km (155 miles) away. As the Fox News TV-channel reported, citing an unnamed official, it was the first test of these missiles in two years.
Reportedly, the missiles were launched from IRGC’s bases, located in Bandar-e-Jask in the southeastern part of Iran. According to one of the sources of the TV-channel, the first missile was fired on Saturday, however, it missed the target and landed “in the vicinity.” A day later, another missile was launched, and this time the test was successful.
A week ago, Iran also successfully tested Russian surface-to-air missiles, a part of the S-300 air defense systems, supplied to the Islamic Republic by Russia recently.
Here is a very interesting take on the story, very professionally written and without the hysteria typical of western media outlets … http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/is-iran-attempting-to-thwart-u.s.-naval-surveillance-of-its-missile-tests
1. They speculate that the speedboat harassment might have been to disrupt a SIGINT operation by the U.S. because it coincided so close to the missile test.
2. They describe the technology of Iran’s anti-ship missiles.