==Gary writes: Secondly, the Fajr-3 and Fjar-5 rockets are Iranian, and were not even designed in Russia.
Just happened to stumble onto the following:
The Fajr-3 and Fjar-5 are N. Korean Multiple Rocket Launchers (MRL) which are heavily dependent on PRC technology and were licensed to be produced in Iran. It remains to be seen whether the provenance of said technology goes back further than the PRC.
After discovering the above, I have decided to check on the respective pedigrees of the remaining weapons as "made in such and such" country doesn't necessarily show where the weapon was designed--GGG
I also have done more research on the
Fajr-3 & Fajr-5.
I stand by my statement that that the Fajr-3 and Fajr-5 are from Iran. One might say the Fajr-3 design is originally from North Korea, and the Fajr-5 from China, but there has been changes made to the original design. Note the following:
Fajr
The Fajr ("dawn") program appears to be centered around foreign-designed artillery rocket systems that have been modified slightly for
production within Iran. Although
the program appears to have begun in the later part of the Iran-Iraq War it may, in fact, trace its origins to the war's early years. Reliable information is available for only two of the Fajr systems: Fajr-3 and Fajr-5.
In the late 1980s, the
North Korean-produced 240mm M-1985 multiple rocket launcher (MRL) was exported to Iran and subsequently produced under license (with minor changes) by Shahid Bagheri Industries as the Fajr-3 (a.k.a., Fadjr-3). Iran has reportedly supplied Hezbollah forces operating in Lebanon -- via Damascus -- with as many as 36 Fajr-3 systems. To date these are not known to have been employed against Israel, but are of significant concern to the IDF. It is presently unclear as to whether the North Korean-produced 240mm M-1991 MRL system has been supplied to Iran.
In March 1990, Iranian Defense Minister Akbar Torkan announced that mass production had begun of the Fajr-3 artillery rocket with a range of 45km.
The Fajr-3 is a 5.2m long, solid-fueled rocket with a diameter of .24m and a weight of 407kg. It carries a 45kg warhead to a distance of 43km.
In the late 1980s or early 1990s,
Chinese-produced 302mm WS-1 MRL was exported to Iran. Here it underwent significant changes and was subsequently produced as the Fajr-5 (a.k.a., Fadjr-5). The most significant modification was the changing of the diameter of the rocket from 302mm to 333mm. This is believed to have been undertaken to take advantage of existing Iranian factory tooling. This and other changes resulted in a decrease in maximum range from 80km to 75km. Like the Fajr-3, Iran has reportedly supplied Hezbollah forces operating in Lebanon -- via Damascus -- with the Fajr-5 systems. To date these are not known to have been employed against Israel, but due to their greater range, they are of even greater concern to the IDF.
The Fajr-5 is a 6.6m long solid fuel rocket with a diameter of .33m and a weight of 915kg. It carries a 90kg warhead to a distance of 75km. Both the Fajr-3 and -5 are produced under the auspices of the Aerospace Industries Organization. Little is known concerning other systems within the Fajr family.
No information is available concerning possible inventory levels for the Fajr-3 or -5. These systems are capable of being armed with conventional high explosive, chemical, biological, and radiological dispersion warheads.