Iraqi homemade Al-Ababil and Al-Fat'h SRM's
(Saddam Hussein's tactical surface-to-surface missiles)

Norbert Brügge, Germany

Update: 16.02.2011

  Predecessor Al-Ababil (Condor-II motor)



BADR-2000 Junior
(corresponds to Argentina's  Condor-II first stage)


Beginning in 1984/1985, Iraq started a cooperative effort with Egypt and Argentina to develop a high-technology, two-stage missile system designed for a range of around 1,000 km, called BADR-2000 in Iraq, Vector in Egypt and Condor-II in Argentina. This missile was to be built first as a two-stage.

Iraq declared that, in the beginning of 1989, it attempted to complete the BADR-2000 project by itself, in particular the production of solid propellant motors.

Personnel previously involved with the Condor II/Badr-2000 missile are working on the new Ababil-100 program. The one-stage Al-Ababil "looks like a BADR-2000 Junior."
The Al-Ababil only uses the first stage of Argentina's Condor-II.

Post the war Iraq continued to work on the SRBM system with ranges of less than 150 km authorized by the United Nations.

Personnel previously involved with the Al-Ababil  missile are working now on the smaller Al-Fat'h missile. The Al-Fat'h uses probably the rocket motor of Argentina's Condor-I (Alacran).


Al-Ababil



Condor-II motor
 
  Al-Fat'h (Condor-I motor ?)

Despite the limitations imposed by the UN sanctions and the international arms embargo, Iraq was able to produce and field the domestically designed Al-Fat’h composite solid-propellant ballistic missile. The goal of the program, which commenced in June 1997, was to develop a missile that could deliver a 300-kg payload to a range of 150 km.
The Al-Fat’h missile was a solid-propellant ballistic missile weighing approximately 1,200 kg with an overall length of approximately 6.3 meters and a diameter of 0.5 meter for the main body and 1.4 meters with the aft fin assembly. The airframe was primarily constructed from 4 mm thick 30CrMoV9 sheet steel. Iraq lacked maraging steel sheets of sufficient size and quantity to manufacture Al Fat’h motor cases. Without maraging steel, the Al Fat’h motor case had to be constructed from 30CrMoV9 sheet steel. The aft fin assemblies and nose cones were constructed of aluminum.
For propulsion, the Al-Fat'h utilized a motor that weighed between 770 kg and 856 kg (828 kg ?). Manufacturing the Al Fat’h solid-propellant motor presented several challenges. Specifically, Iraq lacked preferred materials for the motor case and insufficient solid-propellant mixing capacity.
The two planned Al-Fat'h missiles utilized different guidence systems. The unguided Al Fat’h used simple aft stabilization fins. The guided version of the Al Fat’h would have had a relatively complicated control system, with canards, actuators, and a strapdown INS with an indigenously developed computer and imported gyroscopes and accelerometers.


        
Al-Fat'h                                               





Al-Fat'h motor nozzle (Argentina's Alacran motor ?)




Al-Fat'h motor without nozzle

Al-Fat’h Propellant Formulation

Compound

 % by mass
Ammonium Perchlorate 70
Aluminium Powder 14
Hydroxy Terminated Poly Butadiene (HTPB) 11-12
Dioctyl Azelate/Dioctyl Adepate 3.5
Ferric Oxide 1
2,4-Toluene Diisocyanate 1
Tri [1-(2-Methyl Aziridinyl)] Phosphine Oxide  



 


 


 

 



Soviet "Luna" missile in the foreground



Soviet "Luna" missile (FROG) in Iraq