Anti‑ship cruise missile ‘Qader’ effective weapon against American enemy

Pars Today – The Public Relations Office of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced the execution of the second phase of Wave 91 of Operation True Promise 4, reporting that a secret gathering place of American fighter‑jet flight engineers and pilots was targeted.

According to Pars Today, the IRGC Navy, since early Friday morning and continuing Wave 91 of Operation True Promise 4, launched heavy attacks on military and infrastructure targets belonging to American–Zionist terrorists in countries in the southern Persian Gulf, using large numbers of Qader ballistic and cruise missiles as well as suicide (kamikaze) drones.

The Navy of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps uses various types of anti‑ship cruise missiles in operations against the American enemy, among which the Qader missile can be mentioned.

Over the past three decades, Iran has sought to expand its capabilities in producing cruise missiles, particularly anti‑ship cruise missiles. Just as it is recognized among leading countries in the development of advanced liquid‑fuel, solid‑fuel, and hybrid ballistic missiles, Iran has aimed to establish itself as a major power in the field of cruise missiles as well.

A range of anti‑ship cruise missiles with different targeting systems and ranges has so far been developed in Iran. During the eight‑year Iran‑Iraq War, many operational experiences were gained in naval warfare. In this context, acquiring and developing various types of anti‑ship cruise missiles—including those launched from shore, ships, and aircraft—became one of the priorities of Iran’s armed forces.

Unveiling

The Qader CM200 missile is an anti‑ship cruise missile, with its sea‑based variant being revealed for the first time in history on September 22, 2011 during the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Navy strategic naval exercise. 

In the next stage, General Hossein Dehqan, the then Minister of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics, unveiled the air-launched variants of the Qader cruise missile on September 25, 2013. He stated that the highly skilled and efficient experts of the Aerospace Industries Organization of the Ministry of Defense successfully designed and mass-produced the anti-ship cruise missile, and with creativity and innovation, they also designed and produced its airborne version. 

With the design and construction of the air-launched Qader missile, a first in the country, the military capabilities of Iran’s Air Force fighters and IRGC Navy MI-17 helicopters have been significantly enhanced by equipping them with the air-launched Qader missiles, boosting their operational power and deterrence ability.

According to Rear Admiral Ali Vafadar, the then‑commander of the Navy’s missile forces, the deployment of the long‑range Qader missile and the medium‑range Noor missile in the Iranian Navy greatly increases our defensive power in protecting Iran’s interests at sea. The Qader coastal‑to‑sea missile has a long range and is used against surface vessels at sea. With the increase in the range of the Qader missile, the combat capability of the Navy of the Islamic Republic of Iran at sea has increased.

According to him, with this missile at our disposal, the long arm of the Army Navy in protecting the interests of the Islamic Republic of Iran will be displayed to our enemies with even greater strength. 

In the final phase of the Zolfaghar‑99 military exercise, held in September 2020, the Qader cruise missile, launched from the Navy’s Velayat‑2 coastal‑to‑sea missile system, successfully hit a target vessel at a distance of more than 200 kilometers. 

The spokesperson for the Zolfaghar‑99 exercise, regarding the Navy’s missile capabilities, stated that the sea‑launched cruise missiles currently in the Army’s arsenal possess special features, including an effective warhead with high explosive power and the ability to operate in an electronic warfare environment.

Specifications

The Qader cruise missile is an upgraded version of the Noor missile, with a maximum range of 300 kilometers (190 miles). The Qader can be considered a relatively lightweight cruise missile that flies at a low altitude and possesses high accuracy.

The Noor missile shares the same general characteristics and features as the Qader, with the primary difference being that the Noor is classified as a medium-range missile, whereas the Qader is a long-range missile. Both missiles are used against surface targets, and their defining characteristic is their "pinpoint accuracy," meaning they destroy specific targets with great precision.

The warhead and body design of the Qader missile are similar to those of the Noor missile, and both use comparable systems. Like the Noor, the Qader also employs a booster for initial launch. 

The Qader’s warhead is of the high-explosive (HE) type, capable of penetrating the armor of ships using a delayed-action fuze. The Qader anti-ship cruise missile has so far been developed in two variants: sea-based and air-launched. It delivers a high level of destructive power against coastal targets and naval warships. 

Key Features of the Qader Cruise Missile:

- Low-altitude flight, making it harder to detect by radar. 

- High-precision navigation system for accurate targeting. 

- Stealth characteristics, with a very small radar cross-section when engaging ships or coastal defenses. 

- Resistance to electronic jamming signals. 

- Pre-launch programming capability, allowing mission parameters to be set before firing. 

- Advanced radar with anti-electronic-warfare capabilities. 

- Quick launch and response readiness for attacking both sea and coastal targets. 

- Multi-platform compatibility, capable of being launched from land, sea, or air.