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Iranian Missile Similar to Pakistani Model, Israeli Experts Say
The medium-range ballistic missile Iran tested this week is similar to a model used by Pakistan, suggesting that Islamabad might be assisting Tehran in its weapons program, Israeli security analysts said (see GSN, May 20).Iran's Shahab 3 missile developed from weapons technology used by North Korea and the former Soviet Union, while the Sajjil 2 missile Iran tested Wednesday resembled a type used by Pakistan, Tel Aviv University's Yiftah Shapir told Haaretz. "It is closer to a Pakistani missile, the Shaheen 2, which is based on Chinese technology," the Press Trust of India quoted Shapir as telling the newspaper. "This suggests that it might be the Pakistanis who transferred technology to Iran for the development of the Sajjil ballistic missile." The solid-fuel Sajjil 2 is believed to have a range of 1,200 miles, enabling it to hit targets in Israel and southeastern Europe. The weapon "should worry the Europeans," according to Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon, who asserted that Tehran also wants to produce a ballistic missile capable of reaching the United States. Experts noted that the payload capacity of the Sajjil 2 is akin to that of the Soviet and North Korean models Posted by: john frum 2009-05-22 |
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