The Perfect Soldier: Special Operations, Commandos, and the Future of Us Warfare by James F. Dunnigan
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Dirty Little Secrets
Iran Likes Them Big and Dumb
by James Dunnigan
February 21, 2007
Discussion Board on this DLS topic
Iran recently announced more "test firings" of its missiles. This was done largely for PR purposes, and to give domestic morale a boost. Also firing the rockets enables the builders to verify quality control, and gives the troops some practical experience. The two missiles fired in this round of "tests" are the Fajr-5 and the Zalzal.
The Fajr-5 is a one ton guided missile based the old Soviet unguided artillery rockets ( the larger ones). Fajr-5 has a range of about 75 kilometers and a 200 pound warhead. The guidance system is crude, and the Fajr-5 will land up to kilometer from its aim point. The Zalzal is based the old Soviet unguided FROG series, and is no more accurate than the Fajr-5, weighs three tons, has a 1,400 pound warhead and a range of about 200 kilometers. Both of these missiles use solid fuel and, by U.S. standards, decades old technology. Neither of these rockets are very effective against military targets, unless they are fired at one of the huge American bases in Iraq, or a large urban area.
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