Experts at the Research and Self-Sufficiency Jihad Organization of the IRGC Ground Force have furnished the ‘Fajr-5’ rocket with a thermobaric warhead.
Fajr-5 is a 333 mm rocket, whose guided version, dubbed ‘Fajr-5C’, had been already delivered to the IRGC Ground Force units.
The new thermobaric warhead, which uses oxygen from the surrounding air to generate a high-temperature explosion, has increased the Iranian rocket’s destructive power.
The new warhead’s destructive power is reportedly 1.5 times greater than that of trinitrotoluene (TNT), enhancing the rocket’s blast radius and thermal effect. The thermobaric explosive’s lower sensitivity than TNT has made it a safer option in comparison with conventional warheads.
The Fajr-5 rockets came into the spotlight after being delivered to the Palestinian resistance groups. They were unveiled during the 55-day war in 2012, when the Zionist regime attacked the Gaza Strip.
Reports came out at the time that the Hamas forces had defeated the Israeli regime’s Iron Dome air defense system with the Fajr rockets.
The new thermobaric warhead’s function would also make the Fajr-5 rocket a suitable weapon for the fight against terrorist groups in mountainous and impassable areas, where the terrorists construct shelters and trenches.
Fajr-5 is known as the most advanced and longest-range version of the Fajr ground-to-ground rockets that have various classes with different utilities.
The 333 mm rocket that runs on solid fuel has single- and two-stage versions, with a range of 75 km and 180 km, respectively.