Understanding Iranian Dezful missiles, hype around their possible transfer to Russia

Kovalenko noted that for the past two years, there has been continuous speculation about Russia either receiving or about to receive ballistic missiles from Iran. He clarified on his Telegram channel what the Dezful missile is. 

The military expert explained that the Dezful is a modernization of the Zolfaghar ballistic missile, which itself is a further development of the Fateh-110.

“The Fateh-110, according to open sources, has a range of up to 300 kilometers and a warhead weighing up to 600 kilograms. It was developed from the unguided Zelzal-2 missile, which was based on the Zelzal-1. The Zelzal-1's development began in Iran under sanctions and missile restrictions after Iran received a shipment of Chinese CSS-8 missiles,” he wrote.

According to Kovalenko, the CSS-8 missile, also known as Project 8610, was a tactical surface-to-surface ballistic missile that was essentially a copy of the Soviet S-75, adapted for surface strikes. A distinctive feature of these missiles was their launch at an inclined angle.

“The Zelzal-1 replicated the characteristics of the CSS-8, with a range of up to 200 kilometers and a warhead mass of about 500 kilograms. However, it also incorporated features from another Soviet missile, the 9K52 Luna-M tactical missile. The Iranian missile program thus represents a blend of Soviet technologies and Chinese modifications, creating a cocktail of the 9K52 Luna-M and S-75. This suggests that Iranian missiles may have vulnerabilities similar to those of Soviet-era systems, despite modernization efforts,” Kovalenko explained.

He also discussed the Zolfaghar missile, an evolution of the Fateh-110, which was adopted into service in 2017 and has a range of up to 700 kilometers. The Zolfaghar features both inertial and GPS guidance systems, though the source of the GPS service remains unclear due to sanctions. He noted that the Zolfaghar’s 579 kg warhead separates upon approaching the target, complicating detection, tracking, and interception. In comparison, Iskander missiles are relatively easier to intercept.

The Dezful missile, which is similar to the Zolfaghar, reportedly has a range of up to 1,000 kilometers and a warhead of up to 700 kilograms, though the accuracy of these specifications is uncertain. 

Kovalenko summarized that Iranian missiles are somewhat between the Tochka-U and Iskander systems, each with its own specific characteristics.

He emphasized the need for time to develop countermeasures for these missiles and stressed the importance of expediting the provision of more anti-aircraft missile systems to Ukraine that are capable of effectively targeting ballistic threats.

• Defense Express editor-in-chief Oleh Katkov stated that on August 5, the Russian army attacked Kyiv with at least one North Korean missile.