Russia's new weapon. What you should know about Iranian Qaem-5 bombs
On May 27, it was reported that Russia could have acquired Iranian Qaem-5 guided bombs. So far, there have been no confirmed cases of their combat use in Ukraine, so this weapon could be a new step in expanding military cooperation between Russia and Iran.
How do we know about the Qaem-5 in Russian service?
On May 27, German tabloid Bild columnist Julian Röpke drew attention to the bombs carried by the Iranian Qods Mohajer-6 drone that crashed on May 26 in the Kursk region of Russia.
Röpke claims that these missiles are the latest Iranian Qaem-5 guided bombs. According to the Bild correspondent, the Iranian-made Russian drone was supposed to attack the Sumy region, but crashed in Russia before it could drop the bombs.
Röpke believes that the use of the Qaem-5 bomb indicates a “new level” of military cooperation between Iran and Russia.
Iran's latest weapons: what you should know about Qaem-5 bombs and Mohajer-6 drones
Qaem bombs (not to be confused with the Qaem missiles of the same name) are air-to-ground cruise missiles with a high-explosive warhead.
They are one of the newest Iranian developments and were adopted in Iran only in August 2019.
These bombs were created on the basis of the Iranian Toophan anti-tank guided missile and are equipped with wings for planning.
Their main carriers are Iranian Qods Mohajer-6 drones (one of which crashed in the Kursk region of the Russian Federation on May 26). These are UAVs developed by the Iranian company Qods Aviation Industries. Mohajer-6 drones were first introduced in 2017, entered mass production in 2018, and are considered Iran's most successful export drone. They are designed for both reconnaissance and combat operations.
The payload of Mohajer-6 drones can include up to four Qaem-5 bombs, each weighing about 20-25 kg.
The drone has a maximum takeoff weight of 600 kg and a wingspan of 10 meters. It is powered by a Rotax 912 3-blade piston engine that provides a maximum speed of 200 km/h, a maximum flight altitude of 5.5 km and a range of approximately 2,000 kilometers, allowing for long-range missions.
It is believed that there are several variants of Qaem bombs:
Qaem - presumably with laser guidance
Qaem 1 - presumably with an infrared homing system;
Qaem-5 - with television guidance;
Qaem-9 - also with TV guidance, but larger than the Qaem-5.
The latter two types of bombs are equipped with optoelectronic cameras that significantly increase the accuracy of hitting the target, but are effective only in sufficient light.
According to BBC News, the claimed range of the Qaem-5 bomb is up to 40 km (slightly less than the range of Russian KABs, which on average fly 50-55 km). The minimum operating altitude is about 3 km.
Author - Ihor Lontkivskyi 28.05.24
