Iran is converting the Tondar 69 anti-ship missile: what is the point of modernization

The ballistic missile, which was developed as part of the Qadr project, was modified by adding an optical homing warhead.

At the end of May, Iranian sources reported the intention of the military to develop an anti-ship ballistic missile in order to supply weapons to the Yemeni Houthis. This move confirms Iran's continued support for the Houthi movement, both technologically and materially. This is reported by the Army Recognition resource.

Observers write that Iran has begun work on repurposing the Tondar 69 missile into an anti-ship ballistic missile as part of the Qadr project, initiated by the self-sufficiency unit of the IRGC Air Force. However, this project ran into numerous difficulties, since conventional anti-ship missiles, as a rule, were cruise missiles with a direct trajectory, and ballistic missiles were intended to hit stationary targets.

The Tondar missile has been modified by adding an optical homing head capable of homing in on a target and transmitting real-time images to the command center.

It is noted that the development has undergone a series of tests, including a successful launch at Lake Urmia, where the missile was able to destroy the target, despite adverse weather conditions. This success enabled the Qadr missile technology to be used in the development of the Persian Gulf and Hormuz missiles, making it Iran's first anti-ship ballistic missile.

Also, observers reported that Yemen had previously acquired a significant number of SAM-2 anti-aircraft missiles, which were repurposed into Qaher 2 and Qaher 2M surface-to-surface missiles, which have been successfully used against Saudi forces and their allies.

“This event illustrates Iran's continued support for the Houthi rebels in recent years, which consists not only of comprehensive support, but also in the transfer of technologies to expand the capabilities of allied groups”, — the authors of the publication summarized.