Iran Boasts Of New Apache-Killer Weapon As Tensions Rise With U.S.

[Purveyor]

Iran has developed a new weapon to shoot down U.S. Apache attack helicopters, the Iranian Fars news agency has reported.

"Our enemies should not imagine that if their Apache choppers have shown a mighty and desirable performance in Iraq and Afghanistan, they can show the same might and power in any possible aggression against Iran. We will certainly put an end to the power of their Apaches through our measures," Fars quoted Col. Nasser Arab-Beigi of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps.

The official did not specify the type of the weapon Iran is manufacturing to shoot down Apache helicopters.

The United States and Israel have refused to rule out military action against Iran if diplomacy fails to resolve the dispute over Tehran's nuclear program.

In a further rise in tensions, Iran hit out on Tuesday at U.S. plans to boost Gulf defenses.

Parliamentary speaker Ali Larijani called the move to deploy ships with missile-targeting abilities off Iran's coast and anti-missile systems in the Gulf states of Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates "a new political trick to pave the way for its presence at others' expense."

Iran launched a domestic arms development program after a U.S. weapons embargo was imposed during its 1980-88 war with Iraq. Since 1992, the Islamic Republic has reportedly produced its own Saeqeh and Azarakhsh jet fighters, stealth-capable Ghadir submarine, missile boats, torpedoes, tanks and armored carrier vehicles.

Iranian officials said last year that Tehran had achieved self-sufficiency in manufacturing combat missiles of various modifications.

http://en.rian.ru/mlitary_news/20100203/157756768.html

[krispos42]

1. JDAM - the Apache-killer-killer weapon n/t

[MUAD_DIB]

3. Isn't JDAM used to make dumb bombs "smarter?"

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

Wouldn't the JDAM be used more for hard targets like munitions bunkers/command centers and not flying ones like an Apache?

[krispos42]

4. Yup, a dumb bomb, a GPS, and some guidence fins

Punch in the latitude and longitude of your target, drop from a nearby airplane, and make popcorn while it goes *boom*.

:-)

[MUAD_DIB]

5. Sorry. I misread your prior post.

Apache-killer-killer weapon read as Apache-killer weapon.

No need to reply.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

2. Baghdad Bob, is that you? n/t

[qazplm]

6. yeah

I seriously doubt it. Iran would be formidable because of size and population, not technology.

[jrandom421]

7. Interesting...

The Apache was designed to fly attack missions in the face of Soviet style integrated air defenses, the kind that can put two missiles and/or 100 rounds of 23 mm or 57 mm anti-aircraft ammo into every cubic yard of airspace over the battlefield. We're talking entire divisons devoted soley to air defense. And the Iranians are gonna do better than this? Get real. Anti missile systems that jam laser or electro-optical (tv camera) guidance? Possible, but from the Iranians? You could probably counter attack helos with jet fighters, but that's an expensive proposition, since going after attack helos means that fighters lose their big edge in speed and manuverability, and helos can take advantage of their ability to hover and fly a few feet off the ground.

The Iranians may have the capability, but it's doubtful, especially since neither the Soviets or the Chinese ever put together any system that works against the proven capabilities of the Apache.

[guruoo]

11. Apache's survival is dependant upon their ability to execute the mission from outside

enviroments such as your e.g., "two missiles and/or 100 rounds of 23 mm or 57 mm
anti-aircraft ammo into every cubic yard of airspace"

(their armor is only spec'ed up to 23mm)

[jrandom421]

8. Interesting...

The Apache was designed to fly attack missions in the face of Soviet style integrated air defenses, the kind that can put two missiles and/or 100 rounds of 23 mm or 57 mm anti-aircraft ammo into every cubic yard of airspace over the battlefield. We're talking entire divisons devoted soley to air defense. And the Iranians are gonna do better than this? Get real. Anti missile systems that jam laser or electro-optical (tv camera) guidance? Possible, but from the Iranians? You could probably counter attack helos with jet fighters, but that's an expensive proposition, since going after attack helos means that fighters lose their big edge in speed and manuverability, and helos can take advantage of their ability to hover and fly a few feet off the ground.

The Iranians may have the capability, but it's doubtful, especially since neither the Soviets or the Chinese ever put together any system that works against the proven capabilities of the Apache.

[Flaneur]

9. We don't need to worry about Iranian weapons systems...

...if we just stay away from Iran.

[FarCenter]

10. According to Iranian media, it is a new or improved anti-helicopter missile

They've been working intensively in this area for at least several years. They test fired some in excersizes in 2006.