This seems to be steadily getting more and more important. To get the ball rolling, after the Iranian/Houthi raid on Aramco infrastructure with a mixture of drones and cruise missiles, Iran retaliated (openly this time) against US targets in Iran using SRBMs of various kinds. Here's an IISS report from 2017 that argues the rockets are a bit cack but improving:
However, it's worth noting that IISS's estimate of the newer, guided SRBM's accuracy was based on imagery from two strikes, one exercise, one combat, in which the Iranians mixed both the new gucci ones and much older Scud-B copies. Their estimate is therefore very dependent on attributing which rocket made which crater. IISS also points out that the raid they based this on used a drone to do BDA and correct the fire in real time, hardly worth doing if the CEP is 800m to a kilometre.
If this Washington Post reporter's DOD sources are good, IISS might be badly wrong:
As usual with things that go whoosh, Fabian Hinz is worth following:
Between that thread and a few others it seems there were probably F-110s, Qiams, and maybe F-330s and something else.
However, it's worth noting that IISS's estimate of the newer, guided SRBM's accuracy was based on imagery from two strikes, one exercise, one combat, in which the Iranians mixed both the new gucci ones and much older Scud-B copies. Their estimate is therefore very dependent on attributing which rocket made which crater. IISS also points out that the raid they based this on used a drone to do BDA and correct the fire in real time, hardly worth doing if the CEP is 800m to a kilometre.
If this Washington Post reporter's DOD sources are good, IISS might be badly wrong:
The result is a line of short- and medium-range missiles that can deliver warheads with an accuracy range in *the tens of meters*, a Defense Department intelligence official said. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive assessments of Iran’s military capability.
“We have observed consistent improvements in Iranian ballistic missile accuracy,” the official said. Among the more striking and potentially worrisome developments is technology on Iran’s 500-mile Qiam missile that allows controllers to fine-tune its trajectory during flight. Even the Fateh-110, a short-range model provided to Hezbollah and other militant groups, has been refitted with electro-optical and radio-guidance systems so that it can zero in on highly specific targets, the official said.
As usual with things that go whoosh, Fabian Hinz is worth following:
Between that thread and a few others it seems there were probably F-110s, Qiams, and maybe F-330s and something else.