Iran Says It Finished Solid-Fuel Missile Technology

Iran announced yesterday that it has completed development of indigenous solid-fuel missile technology, the Associated Press reported (see GSN, March 31).

The technology gives Iran the ability to fire solid-fuel ballistic missiles like the Shahab 3, which has a range of 810 miles to more than 1,200 miles. Solid fuel increases the shelf life of missiles and significantly improves their accuracy, according to AP.

“It’s an important step forward, an important achievement. It’s a locally developed achievement,” Defense Minister Ali Shamkhani told AP.

Shamkani added, however, that Iran has not yet conducted a Shahab 3 flight test using solid fuel. Solid fuel was used in the test of a short-range Fateh 110, but Shamkhani did not say whether Iran had developed the fuel or imported it from another source, AP reported (Associated Press/ABCNews.com, July 27).

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