[Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club] Three Questions About the Air Raid... Why Couldn't It Be Intercepted?

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu Reporter] On the 8th (local time), Iran attacked US military bases in Iraq, raising several questions. These include the types of missiles Iran used, the conflicting claims by Iran and the US regarding the extent of damage, and the US interception systems.

According to foreign media on the 9th, the US military bases targeted by Iran in Iraq were Al Asad Airbase and Erbil Airbase. Iran fired 22 missiles toward the two airbases.

Considering the range and debris of the missiles launched by Iran, they are likely SRBMs such as the Qiam-1 and Fateh-110. These missiles appear to have close ties with North Korea. Military experts say the Qiam-1 is a domestically produced model imported from North Korea’s Scud-C missile, and the Fateh-110 is presumed to be a missile exported to North Korea.

The Qiam-1, which Iran deployed in combat since 2011, has a maximum range of 800 km and uses liquid fuel. The first test launch of the Qiam-1 was on August 20, 2010. In contrast, the Fateh-110, with a range of 400 km, uses solid fuel. Its short fueling time makes it suitable for surprise attacks.

Some speculate that Iran may have launched the missiles at a depressed angle during the attack on the US bases. The US military already possesses the MIM-104 Patriot surface-to-air missile system capable of intercepting ballistic missiles, raising questions about why the attack was not prevented.

Military experts offer two reasons. First, the ballistic missiles Iran launched this time were fired at a lower altitude than the normal angle. When ballistic missiles are launched at a depressed angle, their range shortens but they can enter the blind spots of the opponent’s interception systems. Iran is believed to have exploited this.

North Korea also attempted depressed launches several times last year. In May alone, it launched missiles at low altitudes four times. On May 4, a missile flew at about 60 km altitude (one missile flew about 240 km), on May 9 two missiles flew at 45?50 km altitude (270?420 km flight), on May 25 two missiles flew at about 50 km altitude (600 km flight), and six days later on May 31, two missiles were launched at 30 km altitude. All these missiles were North Korea’s KN-23 ballistic missiles, comparable to the Iskander class.

At the time, military officials assessed that North Korea’s continued low-altitude ballistic missile launches were intended to demonstrate evasion capabilities and to test flight performance during depressed launches. Experts argue that ballistic missiles flying at Mach 6?7 speed at 30 km altitude are difficult to intercept with ground-launched interceptor missiles. Patriot interceptors typically fly at Mach 4?5, making it hard to catch up. Moreover, flying at low altitude leaves insufficient time for interception, increasing the chance of missing the target. North Korea’s repeated low-altitude launches indicate flight tests targeting these weaknesses.

US media attribute the failure to intercept Iran’s missiles to missile malfunctions and the absence of Patriot missiles at the US bases in Iraq. ABC News reported that about 25% of the missiles fired by Iran were “duds.” Fox News reported that the US military bases in Iraq attacked by Iran were not equipped with MIM-104 Patriot surface-to-air missiles armed with PAC-3 interceptors.

The extent of damage from Iran’s attack is also disputed between Iran and the US.

Iran’s Fars News Agency reported, “At least 80 Americans were killed by missiles fired by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard toward two US military bases.” In contrast, CNN, citing sources, reported, “So far, there appear to be no casualties,” adding that the military received sufficient warning to reach shelters and bunkers before the missile strikes. US President Donald Trump also tweeted “All is well,” indicating no casualties.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.