Shahab-3 / Zelzal-3

The Iranian Shahab-3 [alternatively designated Zelzal (Earthquake)] missile is said to be a derivative of the 1,000-1,300 kilometer range North Korean Nodong-1. The Nodong missile was developed by North Korea with Iranian financial assistance. The Shahab-3 missile can have a 500kg-650kg warhead. The range is believed to be 1550km-1620km (based on performance data of the No-dong B). More specifically it is believed that with a warhead mass of 760kg the missile will fly 1560km and with a warhead mass of 1158kg the missile will fly 1350km. Although not verified this data would seem to indicate that they are working on the Shahab-4 with a 2000km+ range and would be a derivative of the Taepo-dong 1.

Iran was slated to received the first shipment of the missiles late in 1993. However the delivery was halted due to American pressure on North Korea. According to some reports, as of 1995 Iran had not received the missiles. However Israeli press reports in 1996 cited an intelligence reports which claimed at least a dozen No-dong missiles have been delivered to Iran from North Korea. But General Peay, USCINCCENT, claimed during a Spring 1996 interview that attempts by Iran to buy Nodongs from North Korea had failed for financial reasons.

However, active Iranian development of this missile continued. It is believed that Iran may have initially purchased up to 10 of these NoDong missiles from North Korea. According to mid-1997 Israeli reports, at the rate of current development, the project was to be completed and operational within two years -- by the end of 1999. On 15 December 1997 satellite reconnaissance of the Shahid Hemat Industrial Group research facility, just south of Tehran, detected the heat signature of an engine test for this new missile. The test was either the sixth or eighth conducted in 1997, depending on conflicting interpretations of available intelligence. The CIA predicts a first test flight in 1998, while the DIA predicted a first flight test in 1999. The tests of the missile engines, according to US intelligence, used monitoring equipment supplied by NPO Trud.

In May 2002, it was reported that Iran had decided to start production of the Shahab-3 missile, according to Turkish intelligence. Iran reportedly planned to produce at least 150 of the missiles, which are capable of delivering a 1,000kg warhead to 1.300 km range. Israeli officials estimated Iran had so far been able to amass an arsenal of at least 20 Shihab-3s.

On July 20, 2003, on the occasion of an inspection by the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, of the exhibit of air force hardware affiliated to the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), the IRGC formally took delivery of the Shahab-3 long-range missile from the defense ministry.

Iran showed off its military might on 22 September 2003, publicly parading its newly deployed Shahab-3 ballistic missiles before a crowd of dignitaries in Tehran, including President Mohammad Khatami, military leaders and members of the media. Six of the sand-colored, medium-range missiles, which experts say are capable of reaching Israel or US bases in the Gulf, were rolled out at the end of a parade marking the anniversary of Iran's war with Iraq that began in 1980.

On 22 July 1998 Iran conducted its first flight test of this ballistic missile, which ended about two minutes into flight. The missile was launched at 06:00 from a firing range about 100 miles southeast of At launch, the missile was detected by two or three American satellites. After launch the missile flew approximately two minutes to the south-east. The rocket exploded or was detonated about 100 seconds into the flight, either because of a mishap or because the Iranians, satisfied with its performance, detonated it by remote control. The flight ended near the time the fuel on the missile would have been exhausted, at which point in an operational flight, the warhead would normally separate from the missile and fly to its target. Due to the missile's mid-air explosion, which was picked up by American satellites, it was initially believed that the test was at least a partial failure. However, following careful examination of the initial technical data, some experts reportedly concluded that the test was in fact successful. The US Government expected that there would be additional tests, and that several more tests would be required before Iran was confident of the abilities of the missile. By the end of 1999 there had been only four test firings of the Nodong missile and its improved Pakistani and Iranian descendants. The first test in North Korea was on 22 May 1993. The second was in Pakistan in April 1998, the third was the Shihab-3 in Iran on 22 July 1998, and another test in Pakistan on 14 April 1999.
Iran successfully tested a Shahab-3 on 15 July 2000. Following the test, the Iranian Defense Ministry told Iranian State television that the Islamic Republic had no intention of using its missiles to attack other countries.
Iran conducted a third test launch on 21 September 2000, but the missile apparently exploded shortly after liftoff. The Shahab-3 test was detected by US space sensors, and announced by an Iranian government spokesman in Tehran. Although Iran claimed the test-firing was a success, US officials said the Shahab-3D exploded shortly after launching. Defense Minister Ali Shamkhani stated that the test of a "Shahab-3D" was conducted in connection with the anniversary of the start of the war with Iraq, which began in 1980 and ended in 1988. The Iranian spokesman said the missile was "solid-fueled" and would be used for launching communications satellites and not warheads. Iranian sources characterized the missile as being "solid fueled" but it is believed that the missile consisted of a liquid propellant NoDong first stage with a smaller solid propellant second stage. A missile of this configuration would almost certainly not be capable of launching a satellite of appreciable mass or capability.
Iran carried out a successful test of the Shahab-3 on 23 May 2002.
Iran conducted an unsuccessful flight test of the Shahab-3 medium-range missile in July 2002. The failed test took place in northern Iran and was at least the fourth [and probably the fifth] flight test of the missile that was said to be ready for deployment before the end of 2002. Recent Shahab-3 tests have had mixed results, with about half the missiles flying successfully and the rest failing.
On 04 July 2002, the Israeli daily newspaper Haaretz reported that Iran had successfully tested the Shahab-3 intermediate-range ballistic missile in previous days. The test was described as the most successful of seven or eight launches over the previous five years.
On July 7, 2003, Iran confirmed that it had conducted a final test on the Shahab-3. The missle has a reported range of 1,300 kilometers, bringing Israel within its reach.
On 11 August 2004 Iran conducted a test of the Shahab-3. The missile and warhead were described as, “smaller and designed as a bottle-neck in a throwback to U.S. and Soviet intercontinental ballistic missiles of the 1960’s.” The warhead was changed from a conical design to the shape resembling a baby bottle.
On 20 October 2004 Iran conducted a test of the Shahab-3. Minister of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics Rear Admiral Ali Shamkhani said the Defense Ministry has upgraded the former version of Shahab 3 guided missiles and test fired it in the military exercise called `defense shield exercise`.

In late July 2005 Iranian Defense Minister Ali Shamkhani said the Shihab-3 contained a range of 1,930 kilometers, a major increase from the previous version of the missile, which had a range of 1,300 kilometers. He said the Shihab-3 developed and tested in 2004 significantly increased the range of the missile. Shamkhani was quoted by Radio Farda as saying that the liquid-fuel Shihab could also be fitted with a nuclear warhead.