Saegheh

{{about||the shoulder-launched anti-tank rocket|Saegheh (rocket)|the Iranian fighter aircraft|HESA Saeqeh|the stealth UCAV|Saegheh (UAV)}}

File:Saegheh 1 and 2.jpg

The Saegheh ("Lightning" or "Thunder" in Persian) (also spelled Saegre, Saeghe, Saeqeh, etc.) is any of at least eight completely separate Iranian weapons systems: a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) warhead, an anti-tank guided missile family, a surface-to-surface rocket, a target drone family, an air-to-air missile, a claimed stealth unmanned aerial vehicle, a fighter jet, and an anti-ship cruise missile.

History

The first system, the Saeghe 1, is an Iranian reverse-engineered clone of the American M47 Dragon wire-guided SACLOS ATGM, introduced in 2001.[http://english.people.com.cn/english/200107/31/eng20010731_76213.html People's Daily Online] Iran Successfully Test-fires Anti-Armor Missile[http://www.payvand.com/news/01/jul/1175.html Pavland News] Iran test-fires anti-armor missile - July 31, 2001 It seems to have entered production in 2002.{{cite web |url=http://www.menewsline.com/stories/2002/december/12_03_4.html |title=Middle East Newsline - |website=www.menewsline.com |access-date=12 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030508113258/http://www.menewsline.com/stories/2002/december/12_03_4.html |archive-date=8 May 2003 |url-status=dead}} Iran later introduced the Saeghe 2, a more advanced variant with a tandem-warhead to defeat explosive reactive armor,{{cite web | url=http://www.mashreghnews.ir/fa/news/134666 | title=10 نوع موشک ضدزره ایران از توفان تا دهلاویه + عکس | date=14 July 2012 }} and the Saeghe-4, with a thermobaric warhead.{{Cite web|url=https://imp-navigator.livejournal.com/690111.html|title = Иранские ПТУР Saeghe 2 и Saeghe 4 в Ираке|date = 28 December 2017}} The Saeghe-1 weights {{convert|6.1|kg|lb}} and can penetrate armor up to {{convert|500|mm|in}}. The {{convert|7.4|kg|lb|adj=on}} Saeghe 2 missile has a tandem warhead and can penetrate up to {{convert|760|mm|in}} of armor. The Saeghe 1 and Saeghe 2 ATGMs have a range of {{convert|50|to|1000|m|ft|-1}}.

Despite being essentially obsolete, Saegheh anti-tank guided missiles have been exported to Syria, Hezbollah,{{cite web|url=https://medium.com/@badly_xeroxed/common-atgms-in-the-syrian-civil-war-6395ea4305ec|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180326142131/https://medium.com/@badly_xeroxed/common-atgms-in-the-syrian-civil-war-6395ea4305ec|title=Common ATGMs in the Syrian Civil War|date=17 August 2016|archive-date=26 March 2018|work=Medium}} and Shia militias in Iraq. The Saeghe 1 and Saeghe 2 were in production and service as of 2011, though they were not widely deployed.Galen Wright, Iranian Military Capability 2011 - Ground Forces - March 15th 2011 The Saeghe ATGM is extremely hard to aim and in Iranian service it appears to be limited to IRGC and rapid response forces.{{cite web|url=https://imp-navigator.livejournal.com/178035.html|title=Легкое противотанковое вооружение Ирана. Часть 1|first=Yuri|last=Lyamin|date=5 October 2012|language=ru}}

In 2006, Iran tested a completely unrelated short-range surface-to-surface missile[https://web.archive.org/web/20150521015051/http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2006-08/21/content_4985913.htm China View] Iran tests short-range missile that is also named Saegheh. It has a range of {{convert|80|to|250|km|mi}}.

Other Saegheh name designations

Under the Saegheh name, Iran has also built a variant warhead for RPG-7 style rocket launchers. Iran also uses the Saeghe name for a target drone{{cite web |url=http://www.nti.org/e_research/profiles/Iran/Missile/1788_1815.html |title=NTI: Country Overviews: Iran: Missile Chronology |website=www.nti.org |access-date=12 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071013165941/http://www.nti.org/e_research/profiles/Iran/Missile/1788_1815.html |archive-date=13 October 2007 |url-status=dead}} (which comes in two variants: Saeghe 1 and Saeghe 2{{Cite web | title=Saeghe 2 - Aerial Target System {{!}} IRAN Defence Products | url=http://www.mindexcenter.ir/product/saeghe-2-aerial-target-system | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150421234513/http://www.mindexcenter.ir:80/product/saeghe-2-aerial-target-system | access-date=2025-02-01 | archive-date=2015-04-21}}) and an air-to-air missile.{{cite web|url=https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/iran/saeqeh.htm|title= Saeqeh (Thunderbolt) / Saeqeh-80 / Azarakhsh-2 |work=Global Security}}

The semi-official Tasnim news agency of Iran reported in September 2016 that an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV, drone) named Saegheh similar to the US RQ-170 Sentinel spy drone had been built. It was said to be able to carry four precision-guided bombs; range was not stated. An RQ-170 had been captured by Iran in 2011.{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/oct/01/iran-builds-thunderbolt-drone |title=Iran builds attack drone similar to captured US model, local media say |newspaper=The Guardian |date=2 October 2016 |author= |access-date= 2 October 2016}}

The Saegheh name is further reused for the HESA Saeqeh, a low production jet fighter, and for the Saeghe anti-ship cruise missile.{{cite web | url=https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/iran/saeqeh-cm-pics.htm | title=Saeqeh / Ahoya / AHWA - HY-2 C201 Silkworm/Seersucker }}

Operators

{{IRN}}
Islamic Revolutionary Guard CorpsAli Nuri Zadeh (1 August 2001) "Upon Regional and International Pressure, Iran Scales Down the Production of Ballistic Missiles and Focuses on Shorter Range and Better More Accurate Weapons; Iran Announced a Successful Test of Anti- Armor Saeqeh-1 Missile," Al-Sharq al-Awsat (London)
Iranian Army
Ground Forces
{{SYR}}
Syrian Arab Army
{{IRQ}}
Popular Mobilization Units{{cite web|url=https://www.amnesty.org/download/Documents/MDE1453862017ENGLISH.PDF|title=Iraq: Turning a blind eye: The arming of the Popular Mobilization Units|date=5 January 2017|publisher=Amnesty International|access-date=19 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170313161058/https://www.amnesty.org/download/Documents/MDE1453862017ENGLISH.PDF|archive-date=13 March 2017|url-status=live}}
{{flag|Lebanon}}
{{flagicon image|InfoboxHez.PNG}} Hezbollah{{cite web|url=https://medium.com/@badly_xeroxed/common-atgms-in-the-syrian-civil-war-6395ea4305ec|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180326142131/https://medium.com/@badly_xeroxed/common-atgms-in-the-syrian-civil-war-6395ea4305ec|title=Common ATGMs in the Syrian Civil War|date=17 August 2016|archive-date=26 March 2018|work=Medium}}

References

External links

[https://web.archive.org/web/20150521232101/http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2006-08/21/content_4987952.htm China View] Video and info

Category:Anti-tank guided missiles of Iran

Category:Surface-to-surface missiles of Iran

Category:Anti-tank guided missiles

Category:Guided missiles of Iran

Category:Military equipment introduced in the 2000s