Almas (missile)
| Almas | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | Surface-to-surface missile Air-to-surface missile |
| Place of origin | Iran |
| Service history | |
| In service | 2014-present |
| Specifications | |
| Engine | Solid-fuel rocket |
Operational range | 8 km |
Almas (Persian: الماس, lit. 'insightful') is an Iranian short-range surface-to-surface and air-to-surface missile used for anti-armor attacks.
Almas is a guided missile that does not need a direct eye-line sight to launch from land vehicles, drones, helicopters and shoulder-fired tubes. It is a so-called top-attack missile — meaning its ballistic trajectory can strike from directly above its targets instead of from the side and hit tanks where they are lightly armored and vulnerable.[1]
Almas was developed primarily for use in combat drones or as a ground base using fire and release guidance.[2][3][4] Almas was displayed for the first time in the exhibition of defense achievements in 2015. The missile is at least produced in three variants:[1] Almas-1, Almas-2, and Almas-3. This missile was unveiled in the joint army drone exercise in January 2019 and was fired by the Ababil drone of the army ground forces.[5][6][7] It is hypothesized to have been reverse engineered from the Israeli Spike missile.[8] It has been used extensively by Hezbollah since 2023.
Almas-4, the newer generation of this missile, among other improvements, send clearer images of its flight back to its operators. According to CAT-UXO, a munitions awareness group, this missile can carry two types of warheads. One can detonate in two phases, making it easier to penetrate armor. The other is a fuel-air bomb that explodes into a fireball.[1]
Specifications
[edit]- Type: Top-attack anti-armor guided weapon.
- Length: 1100 mm Almas 1-2 & 1600 mm Almas 3.
- Weight: 15kg (33 lbs) Almas 1-2 & 34kg (75lbs) Almas 3.
- Diameter: 130 mm Almas 1-2 & 170 mm Almas 3.
- Range: 4km (2.5 miles) Almas 1 - 8km (4.9 miles) Almas 2 - 10km (6.2 miles) Almas 3.
- Warhead: Tandem HEAT/thermobaric.
- Guidance: Infrared homing (IIR) & electro-optical.
- Penetration rate: 600 mm RHA (Almas 1), ~1000 mm RHA (Almas 2 & 3).
Operators
[edit]
"Syrian Army".. First spotted and used to attack IDF Surveillance Domes at Jal Al-Allam.[9] Hezbollah manufactures this missiles in Lebanon.[1] In January 2024, Hezbollah released a video of a strike on the Israeli naval base at Rosh Hanikra, on the border with Lebanon, saying it had used an Almas missile. Several subsequent videos over the spring 2024 also show to deploy the Almas against Israeli targets. [1]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e "Hezbollah Believed to Be Using Copy of Israeli Missile Against Israel". The New York Times. 23 November 2024.
- ^ "گزارش تسنیم از موشک جدید ضدزره ایران" (in Persian). tasnimnews.com. Retrieved 2024-06-18.
- ^ "دانش نظامی: موشک ضدزره الماس" (in Persian). iswnews.com. 28 January 2024. Retrieved 2024-06-18.
- ^ "ورود ایران با «الماس» به باشگاه دارندگان نسل خاص محصولات Top Attack+عکس" (in Persian). farsnews.ir. Retrieved 2024-06-18.
- ^ "گزارش تسنیم از موشک جدید ضدزره ایران" (in Persian). tasnimnews.com. Retrieved 2024-06-18.
- ^ "دانش نظامی: موشک ضدزره الماس" (in Persian). iswnews.com. 28 January 2024. Retrieved 2024-06-18.
- ^ "ورود ایران با «الماس» به باشگاه دارندگان نسل خاص محصولات Top Attack+عکس" (in Persian). farsnews.ir. Retrieved 2024-06-18.
- ^ Malsin, Jared; Chamseddine, Adam (2024-09-24). "The Vast Hezbollah Arsenal Awaiting Israel in Lebanon". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2024-09-24.
- ^ https://x.com/war_noir/status/1750821708653629445?t=A1ky8nYRTifuB2U-UXXDkw&s=19.
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