The Quds-1 cruise missile, used by the Houthis in their fight against the Saudi-led coalition appears to have been manufactured in Iran, according to a report by military expert Yuri Lyamin.
The report suggests that the Quds-1 cruise missile may have been created in Iran, as a sort of mobilization project similar to the Soumar (Iranian long-range cruise missile), but made much cheaper and very simplified.
That is to allow for the Quds-1 to be produced in the circumstances of war, and at a loss of capacities, when complicated missiles such as the Soumar can’t be produced. It is helpful when pre-built missiles can’t be delivered, and single components can be procured by Iran and other allies and then built on-site.
The Quds-1 has fixed wings, a simple inexpensive and fairly compact engine, the production of which in Iran seems to have been perfected, since they put a copy of the TJ-100 on their Shahed-191 jet UAVs. The missile itself is much smaller as a result.
A model of the supposed Quds-1 missile was showcased in February 2018 during the exhibition of defense achievements at the Imam Hussein’s Islamic Development and Design Institute in Tehran next to the models of the Fateh-110/Zolfaghar and Nasir anti-ship missiles.
Click to see full-size image
Click to see full-size image
Click to see full-size image
And this is where the origin of the conclusions by Yuri Lyamin come from. Arms Control Network noticed the similarities in the Quds-1 and other Iranian-produced missiles. There were some broad similarities observed. There are differences in the aft fuselage and the nose, but they appear broadly similar.
Click to see full-size image
Click to see full-size image
Then, on the exhibition when the Houthis presented the Quds-1, it was mostly presented upside down. What drew attention were the Roman numerals, which, according to the Iranian model, numbered the tail units of the accelerator.
Since the numbering according to the Iranian pattern is applied there, then, in theory, its order should be observed, and according to it, the numbers I and II should be on those elements that are on top, and III and IV, respectively, from below. So, according to Yuri, the missiles were shown upside-down so that the numbers couldn’t be seen.
Click to see full-size image
Click to see full-size image
Click to see full-size image
MORE ON THE TOPIC:
