Iran Military Forum

US can achieve a lots of damage against Iranian military infrastructure in case of "air war".

US will use F-35, Global Hawk stealth planes attacking from high altitude, 20 kilometers and higher.

There are 3 dangers that Iran is facing.

1) Iran has only 55 (45 SA-2 + 10 S-200) high altitude missiles that can stop high altitude "air war".
Such amount is not sufficient to defend against proposed US fleet of around 100 F-35. US in the long run projected it's fleet to be 2,443. Such number of course is not reachable in near future, 2010-2015.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F-35_Lightning_II
"The United States intends to buy a total of 2,443 aircraft for an estimated US$323 billion, making it the most expensive defense program ever.[15] The USAF's budget data in 2010 projects the F-35 to have a US$89 million flyaway cost based its planned production of 1,753 F-35As."

2) The "Next Generation Jammer" pod installed on F-35 will jam reflected radar radiation. It will radiate a "jamming wave" which will cause wave interferance of Ground Radar wave and jamming wave. The Ground Radar wave will be either diminished significantly or completly disappear (two waves will negate each other).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F-35_Lightning_II
"The USMC is considering replacing their EA-6B Prowler Electronic Attack aircraft with F-35s that have stealthy jammer pods attached.[106]

On 30 September 2008, the United States Navy outlined the basic requirements of the NGJ and stated that the design must be modular and open.[107] Kent, John R. et al. The Navy has selected four companies to submit designs for the Next Generation Jammer.[108]

The NGJ will also have cyber attack capabilities where the AESA radar is used to insert attack codes into remote systems.[109]

The ITT-Boeing design for the NGJ includes six AESA arrays for all around coverage.[110]"


3) F-35 and Global Hawk are stealth planes. They can not be seen by Ground Radar when they approach directly at the radar. This can only be overcome by positioning radars in triangular pattern. "Triangulated" radars can see stealth planes when they fly into the "triangle".

Solutions:
The solution to the above mentioned threats is the upgrade of existing Iran anti air missiles.
First, every missile must have extended 30 kilometers altitude. Second, every missile needs an Infra Red Thermal guidence to lock on stealth planes. In this case no "triangulation" of Ground Radars is required and "Next Generation Jammer" will not help against a passive Infra Red guidence seeker.

Iran already has 450 I-HAWK missiles. It is suggested to upgrade them with extended solid state flight boosters and Infra Red Thermal guidence seekers.

In "air war" the US will try to saturate Iranian air space with anti radiation HARM missiles. They are designed to actively lock on any Anti Air installations be it Radar Stations or Missile Launchers.
Hiding Radar Stations and Missile launchers in dug out trenches is the solution against HARM missiles.
When HARM launch is detected, near by Radar Station and Missile launcher are driven into the trench, hiding them completly from HARM fragmentation blast warhead. This solution requires Radar Stations and Missile Launchers to be installed on mobile platforms, such as trucks.

Winning "air war" against US will stop the ground invasion force. US generals do not plan to engage into large scale conflict without "air support".

Again, as I pointed out in another thread..The Global Hawk isnt an armed UAV...Its just a Recon Drone. Also its not believed to be a true Stealthy design..Like the U-2 before it, it uses its impressive altitude and onboard countermeasures to defend itself. Its also quite expensive, and as such isnt likely to be used againt a well armed enemy (in terms of Air Defense/Air Force). Its mainly be used over Iraq and Afghanistan where they face little if any threat from the ground. Otherwise your analysis is pretty solid..

how do u know iran only has 45 SA-2 + 10 S-200 and 450 i-hawks

I read that Iran was interested in persuing a chinese system similar to the s-300 that the chinese have on the market for export.

I read that Iran was interested in persuing a chinese system similar to the s-300 that the chinese have on the market for export.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S-300_(missile)
"China has bought the S-300PMU-1 and are licensed to manufacture it under the name Hongqi-10 (HQ-10).
China is also the first customer of S-300PMU-2 and may be using the S-300V under the name Hongqi HQ-18.[15]
China also built an upgraded version of the HQ-10 labelled the HQ-15
                                                                                   ^^^^^^
                                                                                   that is Chinese version of S-300.

with the maximum range upgraded from 150 km (93 mi) to 200 km (124 mi). There are unconfirmed reports that claim this version is the Chinese manufactured S-300PMU-2.[16][17] The total number of the S-300PMU/1/2 and HQ-15/18 batteries in PLA are approximately 40 and 60 respectively, in the year 2008. The total number of the missiles is well above 1,600, with about 300 launcher platforms.[17] Five such SAM battalions are deployed and in active duty around Beijing region, six battalions in Taiwan strait region and rest battalions in other major cities like Shanghai, Chengdu and Dalian. Two Rif (SA-N-6) systems were purchased in 2002 for the Chinese Navy for the Type 051C Destroyers."

Do you know that S-400 missiles are also Anti Ballistic Missile missiles with intercept altitude of 100 kilometers? Too bad this detail was removed from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S-400 article.

Now there are rumors of Iran possibly wanting the HQ-9 but they're just rumors for the moment.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HQ-9
HQ-9A
Upgraded version, first tested in 1999 and service entry in 2001
Engine Two-stage solid propellant rocket.
Weight 1300 kg
Length 6.8 m
Warhead weight 180 kg
Operational range 125 km.
Flight ceiling 30 km.
Speed Mach 4.2.
Guidance system Inertial guidance with mid-course update and terminal Active Radar Homing.

That is analogue of short range 9M96E2 S-400, designed for low altitude targets.
Introduced in 1999. Range 120 km. Speed 1,000m/s. Weight 420 kg. Warhead 24 kg. Guidence Active Radar Homing.

Specifications - Missiles (topic).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S-300_(missile)#S-300V_.28SA-12.29

Both HQ-9A and 9M96E2 S-400 use Active Radar Homing guidence. It is the latest radar guidence on modern Anti Air missiles. This feature puts them in the same class of missiles.

However, there is no Infra Red Thermal guidence on all the latest Anti Air Russian and Chinese missiles.

Indeed there are alot of similarities missile-wise between the HQ-9 and S-400

HQ-9 sounds like a good purchase. You get system similar to S-400, which is the latest in Russian arsenal.

Iran needs small mobile radars to hide them in a trench against attack by US HARM missile.

Iran needs small mobile radars to hide them in a trench against attack by US HARM missile.

Apologies for inquiring,
Is it not possible to shut down the radar once a HARM missile launch is detected?
I read that that's what North Vietnamese did when fighting the Americans in the Vietnam war, where they shut down their radar when a radar homing missile attack is detected.

Just curious. Thanks.

azlansu

The current production model of the HARM is design to hit the enemy radar even if it switches off its radar. Its software allows it to "remember" where the enemy radar came from and uses GPS to help it hit the target even if its radar is off.

Even worse. Latest HARM has milimeter wave seeker and locks on any metal target (radar or launcher) like Active Radar Guidence missile. It is more like Hellfire missile then old HARM.

What is Iran doing to face the HARM missiles?

There are only 2 solutions that are economically sound.

1) Use Oerlikon 35 mm twin cannon (that is reverse engineered by Iran) to shoot the aproaching HARM missile.
Range of Oerlikon is 5,000 meters, altitude is 4.000 meters. It has radar target detection system that positions cannon cross hair on to the target automatically. Operator then can fire using TV screen targeting (target has already being caught in cross hair).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oerlikon_35_mm_twin_cannon

"Skyguard
 
An Oerlikon Contraves Skyguard Radar of the Austrian Air ForceThe Skyguard system is contained within a towed trailer, mounted on the roof of which is a pulse doppler search radar, a pulse doppler tracking radar and a co-axial television camera. The trailer also houses the crew of two and a small petrol generator.

A typical battery using the Skyguard consists of two twin 35 mm gun platforms with a single Skyguard fire control radar."

2) Second solution you can hide radar in to the trench once HARM launch was detected by the radar. For that you need small radar mounted on mobile platform (like truck). Latest HARM can also be launched at the missile launcher. You have to hide launcher as well.

Here are the I-HAWK mobile platforms that can easily be hidden into the trench or small bunker.

Pictures: Mobile I-HAWK Missile Launcher, Mobile 75 kilometers Sentinel Radar and Non-mobile, Deployed Oerlikon 35 mm cannon.

This type of jamming was used for decades by almost any air force. The aim is to produce signal clutter for enemies radar. "Next Generation" might mean frequency agile or high power output.

HQ-9 has Passive Radar guidence that locks on Jamming Radar. Just additional Phased Array Antenna in missile gudence that receives only Jamming Radar. It probably activates when missile Radar receives noise signal for some time.

I-HAWK should be modified with Passive Radar antenna to lock on Jamming Radar.
I-HAWK also needs some Infra Red Thermal guidence, to detect F-22, F-35 stealth planes.

Let us call updated I-HAWK, "Multi Guidence Missile". It has Radar, Passive Radar and Infra Red Thermal guidences.

Russia have deployed Passive Radars on Anti Air missiles in Vietnam. It worked.

honestly if the US were to attack iran, i don't think iran would stand a chance against the US air force. smartest thing that iran could do right now is survive and avoid any war with the US, even if it means giving up iran's nuclear ambitions.
but those are just my thoughts.

EXACTLY!