Iran: May 18, 2000

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Iran has developed its own shoulder-fired heat-seeking anti-aircraft missile, the Misagh-1. The missile is 1.477m long, 71mm in diameter, and weighs 10.86kg. It has a 1.42kg warhead activated by an impact fuze. (A proximity fuze would be more effective but the Iranians have had trouble building one.) The missile has a range of 500m - 5,000m and can engage aircraft flying as low as 30m or as high as 4,000m. The complete launcher and missile weigh 16.9kg. The missile is launched from the tube by a small boost motor; a sustainer motor then accelerates it to 600m/second. The Misagh-1 is similar in appearance to the Chinese QW-1 Vanguard and Pakistan's Anza-II; all three are in the same category as the US Stinger.--Stephen V Cole