What the Iran Missile Test Means ( ABC News....Q&A With Christopher Pang,)

ABC News ^ | July 10, 2008 | ELIZA BROWNING

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Q&A With Christopher Pang, a Middle East Analyst Who Specializes in International Defense

Iran test-fired nine missiles today and warned the United States and Israel that it was capable of retaliation against an attack over its disputed nuclear projects. Although the United States has urged Tehran to stop further tests, Iran insists its nuclear ambitions are directed solely at generating electricity.

(ABCNews.com)

Christopher Pang is the Middle East analyst for the London-based Royal United Services Institute, or RUS, an organization that studies international defense and security. ABC News asked Pang about the implications of Iran's test.

How significant was today's test?

PANG: Iran has been testing for quite some time. This is no surprise. But the biggest difference in this test is that it did it over the Gulf.

Is testing over the Gulf uncommon?

PANG: Not necessarily. Testing over water is not uncommon. Iran would not test over Afghanistan and it would not test over its own territory, but this test sends a clear message to the United States and its allies of its retaliatory capabilities. The distance of the test can be seen as a response to Israel's flight test from Tel Aviv to Greece.

[RC2]

They show us their stuff.....we should show them ours. Shoot the suckers down. Every dam one of them. All you’d have to say is “We were testing at the same time.”

[Chode]

it means they finally found somebody that knows how to PhotoShop...

[Dutch Boy]

They must be getting scared that they will be attacked. This is a typical reflex response of someone that knows they are about to get there butts kicked.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

From Reuters:

U.S. says Iran test-fired two missile rounds

**************************EXCERPT************************

Thu Jul 10, 2008 11:11pm BST

By Randall Mikkelsen and David Morgan

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Iran has test-fired two rounds of missiles, including a single medium-range Shahab-3 missile capable of hitting Israel, but does not appear to have tested new or enhanced technology, U.S. officials said on Thursday.

Officials from the Defense Department and U.S. intelligence agencies said the two tests involved between seven and 10 missiles altogether and took place within hours of each other on Wednesday.

Tehran said it tested its second round of missiles on Thursday, but U.S. officials said both rounds were fired on Wednesday. They were both completed by the time U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates spoke to reporters at the Pentagon early on Wednesday afternoon, according to defence officials.

"There were two firings, the second of which involved a single missile," said one defence official who spoke on condition of anonymity because the topic involves classified information.

News of the missile tests roiled the world oil market. Rumours of a third test helped drive crude oil prices up by $6 a barrel on Thursday afternoon.

But U.S. officials said there was no sign that a third test had taken place. "There were two firings. That's it. That's all there's been," the defence official said.

Officials said the firings appeared to be conducted in conjunction with Iranian military exercises and may also have included short-range weapons designed for use against ships in the Gulf.

"It does appear that they had a small military exercise last evening, very small," an intelligence official said. 

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

See #5.

[TexasCajun]

Multiple Targets Acquired - Sir !

[Marine_Uncle]

By test do they mean simply launch the rocket over the straight and let it land where it may with no idea whatsoever how far it went and where it's trajectory placed it.
I doubt Iran had any ships (row boats?) in the area to verify where it landed. So what kind of test was this. Perhaps one where they could verify the rocket motor did not blow up upon launch. Who knows.

[Brian S. Fitzgerald]

What is the TARGETING ACCURACY of their missile warheads? THAT is the important number.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Why do they need accuracy...?

It’s all about FEAR.....

[Brian S. Fitzgerald]

If they can demonstrate accuracy, they will increase fear many fold.

[Marine_Uncle]

Well perhaps with the stoppage by the French to build the Iranian gas fields, and what might lead to an embargo on sending gasoline and other essential refined petrochemical products etc., to Iran, may send a message that they have to stop acting like assholes.
It is high time the G8 nations along with all the second tier nations send a clear message to Iran they will starve to death and go into the dark ages for lack of any imported goods if they continue to pursue their aggressive moves.
If Iran stops selling oil at most it will be a burden on many nations for a while before the rest of the oil producers pick up the slack.
For Iran. They will go to a level where the N.Koreans found themselves in. I believe it is called starvation of the masses.

[saganite]

I’ve noticed an odd thing when two cats square off, (yes, cats, don’t disturb my analogy here) the cat that’s about to get it’s ass waxed makes a hell of a racket while the cat that’s about to apply the wax job just sits there and stares. OK, I know it’s lame but who’s doing all the yowling lately? Iran sure is making a hell of a racket.

[Colorado Doug]

What is the TARGETING ACCURACY of their missile warheads?

Not bad by Iranian standards

[Brian S. Fitzgerald]

As long as they hit what they intend to.

Think back to the Hezebola rocket attacks on Israel, what a joke they were but even the most off target attack could generate terror.

What would happen if they could prove a targeting accuracy of 50 meters?

[HardStarboard]

It appears that the circular error probability is less than 50 yards....from the launch site!!

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

What a lovely picture....

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks Ernest.

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