Zafar (anti-ship missile)

Zafar
Zafar ant-ship Missile
Type	Anti-ship cruise missile
Place of origin	Iran
Service history
In service	2012-present
Used by	Iranian Navy Navy of the Revolutionary Guards
Production history
Manufacturer	Iranian Aviation Industries Organization
Specifications
Warhead	HE
Engine	turbojet
Operational range	25 km
Flight altitude	Sea-skimming
Guidance system	Active radar

Zafar is an Iranian short-range, anti-ship and radar guided cruise missile. It has been designed to be carried inside a launch canister installed on a variety of light vessels and high-speed missile crafts.^[1][2]

The Zafar is claimed to be one of the fastest sea-skimming anti-ship missiles in the Iranian arsenal. The Defense Ministry developed the missile.

History

In response to the United States arms embargo of 1992, Iran turned towards domestically engineered and produced weapon systems. The Zafar (Triumph) cruise missile is one of the missile developed.^[3]

It had its first successful test fire in April 2011. It started production and was revealed to be in active duty in February 2012.^[4][5]

Features

It has an active radar homing system and maximum range of 25 km.^[6] It is built for an active electronic warfare environment. The Zafar missile's design makes it very difficult to be jammed by electronic warfare techniques. It has an active radar guided-missile equipped with a torpedo warhead.^[7]

It is placed in box canisters which may be mounted on shore-based missile launchers or the small, high speed craft used by the navy of Iran. Zafar missiles is preferred for the smaller platforms, such as C14M Azarakhsh and Zolfaghar. Iran has also developed a helicopter, Shahed 285, which has ability to carry two Zafar missiles.^[8]

The Zafar is likely based on Chinese C-701R^[9] or C-704 and C-705.^[10]

References

1. "Iran Begins Mass Producing Anti-ship Cruise Missile". 4 February 2012. Archived from the original on 10 August 2014. Retrieved 9 August 2014.
2. Bahgat, Gawdat. "Iran's Ballistic-Missile and Space Program: An Assessment" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2023-06-01. Retrieved 2024-02-01.
3. "Iran to introduce Zafar cruise missile". 13 October 2011. Archived from the original on 26 April 2017. Retrieved 25 April 2017.
4. "Ancile". Archived from the original on 2014-08-09. Retrieved 2014-08-09.
5. Rezaei, Masoud. "Chinese - Iranian Military Relations" – via Academia.edu.
6. "Zafar - Anti Ship Missile". Archived from the original on 2015-04-24.
7. "Navy of Iran test fires new generation of Naval anti-ship cruise missile". Navy Naval News Navy Recognition. 2020-06-20. Retrieved 2024-02-01.
8. NADIMI, FARZIN. "THE IRGC AND THE PERSIAN GULF REGION IN A PERIOD OF CONTESTED DETERRENCE" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2021-11-03. Retrieved 2024-02-01.
9. Cordesman, Anthony H. "The Iranian Sea-Air-Missile Threat to Gulf Shipping" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2024-02-01. Retrieved 2024-02-01.
10. "An Analysis of China's Military Diplomacy towards Iran" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2023-06-29. Retrieved 2024-02-01.