Location: Abu Ghraib, Baghdad, approximately 25km from city center
Subordinate to: Karama State Establishment, Military Industrialization Commission
Primary Function: Components and engine production for Al-Samoud-2; final assembly of Al-Samoud 2

Description:
Samoud Factory operations began in 1999 under the control of the Karama State Establishment. Apparently, after Desert Fox, Iraq shifted efforts to produce Samoud engines (a modified version of the SA-2/Volga sustainer) from the Wazeriyah and Qadhimiya sites to this new location.

Despite efforts dating back to at least 1992—if not before Desert Storm—Iraq was still unable to produce and assemble a consistently performing engine by 2003. After 1999, most of these production efforts—including flow forming, machining, brazing and other processes—were undertaken at the Samoud facility. Given the difficulties in achieving consistent, reliable performance in their indigenous engines, Iraq imported 380 rocket SA-2 engines which were to be modified to Samoud-type engines (addition of shut-off valves, start canister, etc.) at the Samoud Factory.

As work progressed on the Samoud-2 system, Iraq established an assembly line for the missile at the Samoud Facility. In February, it appears that much of the assembly equipment for this missile was being moved back to the Wazeriyah site.

Key Sources: CNS UNMOVIC Inspection Database, <http://cns.miis.edu/Iraq-Inspections>; CNS interviews.

	Updated October 2003