Iran's New Air Defense Missiles Change the War Economy

According to a report by Reference News Network on April 23, the Russian newspaper "Independent" reported on April 21 that foreign media reported that Iran's new type of air defense missile can effectively counter U.S. drones and subsonic aircraft, bringing changes to the war economy. This refers to the cost-effective Type 358 missile. This missile can remain airborne for extended periods without the need for complex launch devices and radar systems worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

After the U.S. claimed to have completely destroyed Iran's air defense system, Iranian missiles have still successfully shot down U.S. drones and aircraft over Iran and Yemen.

In March of this year, after shooting down several U.S. military targets, including multiple MQ-9 Reaper drones, the Iranian Type 358 air defense missile became the focus of public attention. This missile, valued at approximately $90,000, has frequently shot down MQ-9 Reaper drones worth up to $30 million in Yemeni airspace since 2021.

The main advantages of Iran's new missile compared to traditional air defense weapons are its extremely low cost, long airborne standby capability, and high concealment.

The enemy can easily detect and quickly destroy traditional air defense systems worth hundreds of millions of dollars, such as using anti-radiation missiles.

The launch device for the Iranian Type 358 missile is a compact tripod with rails, which can even be mounted on a sedan. The Type 358 missile is less than 3 meters long and weighs about 50 kilograms, making it a mass-produced weapon that can be deployed in large numbers at almost any position, transport vehicle, or shelter. The dispersed deployment of these missile positions is nearly impossible to detect and destroy.

According to data from Western experts, this missile has not only shot down numerous U.S. long-range drones in Iran, Iraq, and Yemen but may have also hit F-35 fighter jets.

Meanwhile, U.S. fighter pilots may not have received any attack warnings at all, as the passive guidance system of the Type 358 missile, while responsive to infrared radiation, does not emit any signals itself.

The U.S. Air Force has not released an official investigation report regarding the incident of Iran shooting down an F-35 fighter jet. Iranian authorities have also not disclosed the specific weapon that may have attacked U.S. military aircraft. However, analysts are increasingly inclined to believe that the F-35 was indeed hit by the Type 358 missile, and the F-35's sensors may not have detected Iran's missile at all, despite the U.S. military having intercepted samples of the Type 358 missile bound for Yemen as early as 2019.

The Type 358 missile is structurally closer to a drone, using a compact turbojet engine rather than a rocket engine. This characteristic allows the Type 358 missile to patrol for extended periods and autonomously search for targets.

This missile is not a radar-linked missile interceptor but rather a hunter that resides in the air, capable of automatically searching for enemy drones such as the MQ-9 Reaper and the MQ-900. The U.S. has lost more than 15 MQ-9 Reaper drones in its recent conflicts with Iran. However, U.S. experts did not anticipate that the Type 358 missile could also be used against F-35 fighter jets.

Experts speculate that if Iran's weapons can successfully shoot down advanced NATO aircraft, it will not only impact the Middle East but also the Pacific region.

In addition, Iran has introduced a more advanced Type 359 air defense missile, which will be capable of shooting down enemy aerial refueling aircraft and even long-range radar reconnaissance aircraft.

These brand new Iranian air defense missiles demonstrate that the Iranian military and engineers have surpassed the traditional combat methods of the last century in both thought and technology. Currently, the Iranian Type 358 missile has been deployed in Yemen, Lebanon, and Syria. (Translated by Li Ran)