Shahab series ballistic missiles

Also known as

Shahab ballistic missile family
Shahab missile family
Shahab-1
Shahab-2
Shahab-3
Shehab series
Shehab-1
Shehab-2
Shehab-3
Scud B-variant Shahab-1
Scud C-variant Shahab-2

The Shahab series is Iran's older liquid-fuel ballistic-missile line, spanning Scud-derived Shahab-1 and Shahab-2 short-range missiles and the No-Dong-derived Shahab-3 medium-range missile. CSIS and IISS describe Shahab-1 as a Scud-B copy with roughly 300 km class range, Shahab-2 as Iran's Scud-C line with roughly 500 km range, and Shahab-3 as the road-mobile MRBM that entered Iranian service in 2003 and became the basis for later Ghadr/Qadr and Emad variants.

Shahab series ballistic missiles, Iranian short- and medium-range ballistic missile family, Munitions

Image source: Wikimedia Commons Shahab-3 image

Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin: Iran, with Soviet/North Korean Scud and No-Dong lineage
Built by: Aerospace Industries Organization
Built in: Iran
Type: Iranian short- and medium-range ballistic missile family
Service note: Iranian liquid-fuel ballistic missile family developed, acquired, and fielded from the mid-1980s onward
Designer: Aerospace Industries Organization, Shahid Hemmat Industrial Group, Shahid Bagheri Industrial Group, and related Iranian missile-industrial entities
Designed: Shahab-1 production line reported by 1993/1994; Shahab-3 engine testing reported in 1997
Produced: Mid-1980s acquisitions followed by Iranian production from the 1990s onward

Specifications

Family scope: Shahab-1 and Shahab-2 short-range ballistic missiles plus Shahab-3 medium-range ballistic missile and Shahab-3-derived Ghadr/Qadr and Emad descendants
Basing: Road-mobile for Shahab-1 and Shahab-2; road-mobile or silo-based for Shahab-3
Propulsion: Single-stage liquid propellant across Shahab-1, Shahab-2, and baseline Shahab-3 references
Shahab-1 range and payload: CSIS lists 285-330 km range and a single 985 kg warhead; Iran Watch lists up to 300 km and 770-1,000 kg payload
Shahab-2 range and payload: CSIS lists 500 km range and 770 kg payload; Iran Watch lists about 500 km and about 700 kg payload
Shahab-3 range and payload: CSIS lists 800-1,300 km range and 760-1,200 kg payload; Iran Watch lists 1,300 km range and 750-1,000 kg payload
Accuracy caveat: Iran Watch's table lists approximate CEP values of 500 m for Shahab-1, 700 m for Shahab-2, and about 3 km for Shahab-3; IISS cautions that Shahab-2 accuracy may be worse than Shahab-1 if similar guidance is used
Manufacturer context: Iran Watch attributes development responsibility for Shahab-1, Shahab-2, and Shahab-3 to AIO; the UN Security Council narrative links AIO control relationships to Shahid Hemmat Industrial Group and Shahid Bakeri Industrial Group

Variants

Public sources use Shahab for an Iranian family rather than a single model: Shahab-1 and Shahab-2 are Scud-derived SRBMs, Shahab-3 is a No-Dong-derived MRBM, and Ghadr/Qadr and Emad are treated in specialist references as Shahab-3-derived variants or adjacent descendants.

Variant	Configuration	Designation notes
Shahab-1	Scud-B-derived SRBM	CSIS describes Shahab-1 as an Iranian Scud-B variant with a single-stage liquid-propellant motor, road-mobile basing, and a 285-330 km range; IISS describes it as a practical copy of the Soviet Scud-B with about 300 km range carrying a 1,000 kg warhead. Sources: Shahab-1 (Scud B-Variant) \| Missile Threat - CSIS, IISS Open-Source Analysis of Iran's Missile and UAV Capabilities
Shahab-2	Scud-C-derived SRBM	CSIS describes Shahab-2 as Iran's Scud-C variant with road-mobile basing, single-stage liquid propulsion, a 500 km range, and a 770 kg payload; IISS says Iran called the North Korean Scud-C line Shahab-2 and extended range by adding propellant and reducing warhead mass. Sources: Shahab-2 (Scud C-Variant) \| Missile Threat - CSIS, IISS Open-Source Analysis of Iran's Missile and UAV Capabilities
Shahab-3	No-Dong-derived MRBM	CSIS describes Shahab-3 as a liquid-fuel, road-mobile or silo-based MRBM with 800-1,300 km range and 760-1,200 kg payload, and says Iran likely declared the original missile operational in 2003. Sources: Shahab-3 \| Missile Threat - CSIS, Iran Watch Iran's Missile Program
Ghadr/Qadr Ballistic Missile	Shahab-3-derived MRBM family	Iran Watch describes Ghadr and Emad as Shahab-3 variants with greater range and improved reentry vehicles, while the catalog has a public Ghadr/Qadr record covering Ghadr, Qadr, and Emad labels. Sources: Iran Watch Iran's Missile Program, Iran Watch Missile Milestones
Emad	Ghadr/Shahab-3-derived MRBM variant	IISS describes Emad as based on the longer-range Ghadr-1 variant of the Shahab-3 MRBM and fitted with a separating maneuvering reentry vehicle; no separate public Emad weapon record was found in catalog lookup. Sources: IISS Open-Source Analysis of Iran's Missile and UAV Capabilities

Cataloged Lineage Links

This relationship-only family page links the Shahab line to cataloged systems where public sources describe a direct lineage or derivative relationship.

Linked record	Connection	Source-backed context
R-17 Scud-B ballistic missile / Hwasong-5 ballistic missile	Shahab-1 lineage	CSIS describes Shahab-1 as an Iranian Scud-B variant and says the missile is nearly identical to the North Korean Hwasong-5, while IISS treats Shahab-1 as Iran's Scud-B copy.
Scud-C ballistic missile / Hwasong-6 ballistic missile	Shahab-2 lineage	CSIS describes Shahab-2 as Iran's Scud-C variant; IISS notes Iran called the North Korean Scud-C line Shahab-2 and extended range by carrying more propellant with a lighter warhead.
Qiam-1 / modified Qiam ballistic missile	Shahab-2 derivative	CSIS identifies Qiam-1 as an improved Shahab-2 variant with a triconic reentry vehicle, longer range, smaller payload, and enhanced accuracy.
Ghadr/Qadr Ballistic Missile	Shahab-3-derived branch	Iran Watch and IISS describe Ghadr/Qadr and Emad context as part of the Shahab-3-derived medium-range branch, while the public catalog keeps Ghadr/Qadr as the linked named record.
Iranian ballistic missiles	Broader family context	The broader Iranian ballistic-missile page covers Shahab-related systems alongside later solid-fuel and medium-range Iranian missile branches without implying direct conflict use for this relationship-only record.

Timeline

Shahab series ballistic missiles Key Events

Jan 1, 1985
Scud-B acquisitions begin Shahab-1 lineage
CSIS traces Shahab-1 origins to Iranian Scud-B acquisitions during the Iran-Iraq War, including early purchases from Libya and later North Korean support.
Sources: Shahab-1 (Scud B-Variant) | Missile Threat - CSIS
Jan 1, 1991
Shahab-2 identified in test firing
Iran Watch's missile milestones identify a 1991 Iranian ballistic-missile test as a North Korean Scud-C renamed Shahab-2 in Iran.
Sources: Iran Watch Missile Milestones
Jan 1, 1993
Shahab-1 production line reported
Iran Watch reports that Iran inaugurated its first Shahab-1 production line in 1993 or 1994.
Sources: Iran Watch Missile Milestones
Jan 1, 1997
Shahab-2 production and Shahab-3 engine work
IISS says Iran is believed to have established reliable Shahab-2 production capacity by 1997, while CSIS reports Shahab-3 engine testing began in Iran that year.
Sources: IISS Open-Source Analysis of Iran's Missile and UAV Capabilities, Shahab-3 | Missile Threat - CSIS
Jan 1, 2003
Shahab-3 declared operational
CSIS says Iran likely declared the original Shahab-3 operational sometime in 2003; Iran Watch says Iran declared it operational and delivered it to the armed forces in 2003.
Sources: Shahab-3 | Missile Threat - CSIS, Iran Watch Iran's Missile Program
Jan 1, 2004
Improved Shahab-3 variants displayed
Iran Watch records a 2004 upgraded Shahab-3 test later associated with Ghadr-1 and says two Shahab-3 variants with triconic warheads and assessed 1,500 km and 2,000 km ranges were displayed that September.
Sources: Iran Watch Missile Milestones