North Korean advanced BM-25 missiles on display in October. Iran has reportedly bought 19 of these missiles.
The New York Times reports today that the leaked secret US intelligence assessments dated 24 February of this year concluded that Iran has obtained 19 advanced missiles from North Korea capable of hitting targets in Western Europe. The missiles, based on a Russian design, are much more powerful than anything Iran was thought to have in its inventory. The US officials said that the missiles’ advanced propulsion could speed Iran’s development of intercontinental ballistic missiles.
The North Korean missiles are based on a Russian design called R-27, once deployed aboard Soviet submarines carrying nuclear warheads. The North Korean version of the missile is known as BM-25, and could also carry nuclear warheads. The 24 February secret document obtained by WikiLeakes indicated US intelligence belief that 19 of these missiles have already been shipped to Iran, and that Iran is working to master the technology in order to build a new generation of missiles.
Previously Iran was thought to have missiles capable of 1,200 miles range. The range of Russian R-27 launched from a submarine was thought to be 1,500 miles. The BM-25 is longer and heavier, giving it a range of up to 2,000 miles.
By obtaining BM-25s, Iran not only has dramatically improved its missile capabilities, but it now has the know-how to design and build a new class of more powerful missile engines, the cable said as reported by The New York Times.
“Iran wanted engines capable of using more-energetic fuels,” the 24 February able said, “and buying a batch of BM-25 missiles gives Iran a set it can work on for reverse engineering.”
At the request of the Obama administration, The New York Times has agreed not to publish the text of the 24 February cable.
Click here to read The New York Times article.
Photo: The New York Times
12 comments:
Technology transfer has actually been suspected for some time, especially given certain performance indicators present in Iran's SLV.
Payload and an increase in power seem to be of greater importance than range.
It will be interesting to see if this intelligence claim of actual missile transfers is proven correct in future Iranian disclosures of SSM deployment.
I'm also interested in seeing the actual Wikileaks doc when it's uploaded for public consumption.
Great news. Iran needs to develop a second strike missile capability in hardened silos and mobile systems including naval deployment. Even a third world bankrupt nation like France has the
The Force de Frappe (French for strike force) based on a triad of air-, sea- and land-based nuclear weapons. Iran needs to pay special attention to survivability of its missile delivery systems. This should not be a major problem considering Iran's mountaineous terrain and vast landmass.
In time, Wikileaks will prove to be a disinformation tool, it will help the US & Israel vaporize Iran.
Wikileaks is just another form of the worm.
http://www.veteranstoday.com/2010/11/25/gordon-duff-iran-korea-nuclear-lies-orders-from-tel-aviv/
IRAN-KOREA NUCLEAR LIES, ORDERS FROM TEL AVIV
I find it suspicious that the US communication during a time when they wanted to get support for more pressure on Iran specifically issues a message that puts Iran with the NEW capability to hit two capitals that were on the fence on Iran; Moscow and Berlin.
They didn't say Iran had acquired a missile long enough to reach Paris or Great Britain, those countries were already anti-Iran.
WikiLeaks is a George Soros invention. Just look at it's executive board. As they say Cuo Bono with an organisation like this, could it be our friend at Mossad don't they have their motto as "By Way of Deception"!
Anonymous said: "Great news. Iran needs to develop a second strike missile capability in hardened silos and mobile systems including naval deployment."
The hardened silos are already being build. See here: http://geimint.blogspot.com/2010/11/new-tabriz-silo-complex.html
The worm is in control.......I see that Pardo does not waste time!
Nothing new!
Most of the "leaks" on Iran have already been published in "Planet Murdoch (MurdoPedia)" accompanied by the obligatory phrase "blah, blah,...according to a Western diplomat who declined to be named,...blah, blah,blah"
This way they can recycle their own SHEIT one more time.
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Wikileaks is juvenile franchise of the CIA and the moronic nature of the "leaks" and the gossipy girly nature of the "documents" only confirms that the "quality" of US diplomacy is more suited for teenage girly gossip tabloids. The US has sunk to a new embarassing low.
I have not comments about jokeleaks
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