Iran starts wargame to test missiles

[sabra]

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=3&art_id=qw1169474941990B265

Iran starts wargame to test missiles

Tehran - Iran's Revolutionary Guards launched war-games in central Iran on Monday and said they would test two models of home-made missiles, state radio reported.

The war-games come at a time of rising tension between the West and Iran. Western capitals say Tehran's nuclear programme is aimed at producing nuclear weapons but Tehran adamantly denies this charge.

"In the four-day long missile war-games in Garmsar area, the Zelzal-1 and Fajr-5 missiles will be tested," state radio quoted a Guards spokesman saying.

Garmsar is a small city located 100 km southeast of Tehran, adjacent to the unpopulated Garmsar desert.

[Demeter]

1. Homemade Missiles. How Cozy

With melted butter, and no US corporate profits to take away the goodness...

Who writes these headlines, anyway?

[endarkenment]

2. before everyone has cardiac arrest

These are both artillery rocket type weapons: useful only for barraging large targets where accuracy in not important. Fajr-5 has a range of 75km and the Zelzal-1 in the 150 to 400 km range.

http://www.missilethreat.com/missilesoftheworld/id.177/missile_detail.asp
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fajr-5

I am fairly certain that our military does not consider these weapons to be much of anything other than a nuisance.

[Dover]

3. Iran Announces New Missile Tests

Monday January 22, 2007 5:01 AM

By NASSER KARIMI

Associated Press Writer

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - Determined not to budge under pressure, Iran announced new tests of short-range missiles Sunday, and hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad dismissed criticism that the country's economy has been hurt by U.N. sanctions imposed for its suspect nuclear program.

The missile tests come as the U.S. Navy is sending a second aircraft carrier to the volatile Persian Gulf. U.S. officials said the USS John C. Stennis, which arrives in Mideast waters in a matter of weeks, is meant as a warning to Iran.

The deployment appeared to alarm some in Iran's hardline leadership, including a member of a powerful cleric-run body who warned last week that Washington plans to attack, possibly by striking Iranian nuclear facilities. U.S. officials have long refused to rule out any options in the faceoff with Tehran, but say military action would be a last resort.

Stressing Iran's preparedness, state television said the Revolutionary Guards planned to begin three days of testing the short-range Zalzal and Fajr-5 missiles Sunday. It could not be confirmed if the exercise had begun near Garmsar city, about 60 miles southeast of Tehran.

``The maneuver is aimed at evaluating defensive and fighting capabilities of the missiles,'' the report quoted an unidentified Guards commander as saying....>

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-6362340,00.html

[leveymg]

4. Earth to unidentified Revolutionary Guards spokesman: EXERCISE RADIO SILENCE

Anything you say can and will be FUBAR.