[The World Through Weapons] Iran Missile Drawing Global Attention... First Successful Military Satellite Launch

Launch scene of Iran's first military satellite 'Noor' revealed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on the 22nd [Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of Iran has announced its first successful launch of a military satellite, intensifying vigilance from the United States and Western countries. The U.S. is taking a particularly tough stance, claiming that this satellite launch violates United Nations (UN) Security Council resolutions. Since the missile used for the military satellite launch is known to be a rocket developed domestically by Iran, the U.S. criticizes the launch as part of the development of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).

On the 22nd (local time), the IRGC announced the successful launch of a military satellite named "Noor," which means "light" in Persian. The satellite was launched from the space center located in the Markazi desert of Semnan Province in north-central Iran and settled into an orbit 425 km above the earth. If this announcement is true, Iran would have acquired its first military satellite.

The issue drawing attention from the U.S. and Western countries is not the satellite itself but the rocket used to launch it. This rocket is named "Qased," meaning "messenger" in Persian. Qased is also the name of a missile with a range of about 100 km that the Iranian military unveiled last year. At that time, the Iranian military also stated that this missile could be mounted on an F-4 fighter jet.

The North Korean military conducting a test firing of a super-large multiple rocket launcher. It is known that most of Iran's missile technology originated from North Korea. [Image source=Yonhap News]

In fact, there is little difference between rockets used to carry satellites and ballistic missiles except whether they carry a warhead or a satellite. Accordingly, the U.S. strongly opposes the launch. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo stated at a press conference immediately after the launch that this launch violates UN Security Council resolutions. The UN Security Council resolution Pompeo referred to was adopted in 2015 and prohibits Iran from developing ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads for eight years. From the U.S. perspective, launching a military satellite with the Qased missile constitutes a violation of the UN Security Council resolution.

Consequently, interest in Iran's independent missile technology is also increasing. Iran had previously launched satellites using domestically developed launch vehicles in August last year and February this year but failed to achieve orbit insertion consecutively. However, with the success of the Noor satellite this time, it is evaluated that Iran's missile technology has made a significant leap forward.

In November last year, the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) under the U.S. Department of Defense released a report on Iran's missile capabilities. The DIA report stated, "Iran possesses the largest and most diverse ballistic missile arsenal in the Middle East," and "Despite decades of sanctions, Iran has made extensive advancements in missile quantity and precision." Particularly, Iran's medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM) technology is considerable, with the capability to strike within a 2,000 km radius from Iran. Such a range would allow strikes on Israel, Saudi Arabia, and even southeastern Europe.

Disinfection efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in Tehran, the capital of Iran. [Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

North Korea is presumed to be behind the development of Iran's missile technology. According to Voice of America (VOA), North Korea began supplying Scud missiles to Iran during the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s, and the two countries have strengthened mutual cooperation on ballistic missile technology. The Shahab-3 missile, which forms the basis of Iran's MRBM, is known to have been developed by modifying North Korea's Nodong and Musudan missiles and utilizing their technology.

Iran focuses on missile development because missiles are relatively inexpensive compared to advanced air power such as stealth fighters. Since U.S. and Western economic sanctions resumed in 2018, Iran's oil exports have plummeted from 2.5 million barrels per year to below 500,000 barrels, worsening the economic crisis. This year, the COVID-19 pandemic has further strained the budget, with nearly 90,000 confirmed cases, leaving little room for acquiring advanced equipment.

Even advanced Russian weapons that Iran could import are difficult to order easily despite being cheaper than U.S. counterparts. For example, Russia's stealth fighter Su-57 costs about $50 million (approximately 5.8 billion KRW) per unit, which is cheaper than the $150 million F-22 but still very expensive. In contrast, the price of a North Korean Scud missile varies by range but is known to be between $1 million and $10 million. Iran's intention to compensate for its aging air force by strengthening missile capabilities is rooted in these circumstances.