While the Obama administration tries to make the United States' nuclear missile arsenal disappear through drastic cuts to the number of missiles, the Russians are seeking to make their missiles disappear differently. The Russians have developed a technology that covers up the tracks made by their missile launchers from their hiding place to the launch point, making the missiles' locations impossible to pinpoint from satellites. What's worse is that the Russians may sell this technology to countries that have purchased its missiles... including Iran and Syria.
According to reports from foreign sources, Russia will soon equip all of its portable ballistic missile launchers with a system that covers up the traces left on the ground by the launcher’s wheels. These traces aid intelligence sensors, such as espionage satellites, to identify the hiding places of the missiles, which can destroy the missile in advance.
Russia’s Teykovo missile base in the Ivanovo region, where Topol-M SS-27 and RS-24 intercontinental ballistic missiles are stationed, will be the first base to be equipped with the new system. Other Russian missile bases will receive the trace-covering equipment in the coming months.
Russia has not provided precise details pertaining to how the traces of the launcher wheels are covered, but the country will likely adapt it for use with other missiles like the Scud missiles used by the Syrian Army, among others.
It is possible that this equipment might be sold to Iran, which could make use of it on several of its portable missile launchers. These are intended, among other things, for launching missiles such as the Shahab-3, which is capable of reaching Israel.
Hassan Firouzabadi, quoted by the student news agency ISNA, denied that Israeli or US sabotage was to blame.
"This recent incident and blast has no link to Israel or America but the outcome of the research, of which the incident happened as a consequence, could be a strong smack to the mouth of Israel and its occupying regime," he said.
It looks like that strong smack in the mouth is coming back to punch Iran in the face. And I have serious doubts that's happening by accident.
Britain's Guardian reported on its website late Tuesday night that Iran believes that the Mossad was responsible for Saturday's explosion at a missile plant outside Tehran in which Hassan Tehrani Moghaddam, the head of Iran's missile program, was killed.
The official account insisted the blast was an accident, but a source with close links to Iran's clerical regime blamed it on an operation by the Mossad, bolstering other reports of involvement by Israel's intelligence and special operations organisation that were attributed to western intelligence services.
If true, the blast would mark a dramatic escalation in a shadow war over the Iranian nuclear programme.
Moghaddam was an engineer by profession, reported to have been trained in ballistic science by China and North Korea. Mostafa Izadi, an Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps commander, and a close friend, said in his obituary: "Since 1984 he pioneered the IRGC's ground to ground missile system ... the work which has so frightened the world's imperialist powers and the Zionist regime today."
At yesterday's funeral, Hossein Salami, the deputy head of the IRGC, echoed those sentiments in his eulogy. He declared: "Martyr Moghaddam was the main architect of the Revolutionary Guards' cannon and missile power and the founder of the deterrent power of our country."
Moghaddam's violent death, coming in the wake of a series of assassinations of Iranian nuclear scientists on the streets of Tehran and rising tensions over Iran's nuclear and missile programmes, raised questions about whether the explosion was deliberate sabotage and the latest, bloodiest blow in a covert war.
Iran had blamed the killings of three scientists in the past two years on Israel, but on this occasion, the IRGC public relations department was quick to rule out sabotage while at the same time saying that the investigation into the incident had not been completed.
Speaking to the Guardian on condition of anonymity, however, a former director of an Iranian state-run organisation with close links to the regime, said: "I believe that Saturday's explosion was part of the covert war against Iran, led by Israel."
The former official compared Saturday's incident to a similar blast in October 2010 at an IRGC missile base near the city of Khorramabad. "I have information that both these incidents were the work of sabotage by agents of Israel, aimed at halting Iran's missile programme," he said.
The bases in both cases housed Iran's Shahab-3 missiles, based on a North Korean design. An upgraded variant was said to have a range of 1,200 miles, which would allow it to reach Israel....
The official account of Saturday's blast said it had taken place in an arms depot when munitions were being moved. Other reports said a Shahab-3 detonated while Moghaddam was overseeing its redeployment. Witnesses spoke of hearing one giant blast rather than a series of detonations which might be expected from a blaze in a munitions store.
Time magazine also cited a "western intelligence source" as saying the Mossad was behind the blast and that many more would follow. "There are more bullets in the magazine," the source said.
Western officials would not comment on the claims, but would not rule out Israeli involvement.
Report: Iranian missile base where explosion took place houses Shehab-3 missiles
YNet is reporting, based on a report from Iranian exiles, that the Revolutionary Guard base at which an explosion took place on Saturday houses Shehab-3 missiles.
An Iranian exile group claims that a blast at a military installation near Tehran has resulted from the explosion of rockets at a base for the missile forces of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps.
A former spokesman for the Mujahedin-e Khalq, or MEK, in Washington, citing reliable sources inside Iran, said Saturday that the explosion hit the Modarres Garrison of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps west of Tehran. Alireza Jafarzadeh said the garrison belongs to the IGRC's missile unit and the blasts "resulted from the explosion of IRGC missiles."
An Iranian opposition report dating back to 2002 revealed that the village where the blast took place, west of Tehran, is home to a Revolutionary Guards missile unit responsible for the Shihab-3 missiles with a ragne of some 1,300 kilometers (roughly 800 miles.)
...
According to Iranian opposition report, yet another missile unit was stationed at the village and held huge quantities of weapons, including missiles handed over to Hezbollah.
While the report's credibility had not been confirmed yet, Iran's opposition has played a key role in uncovering secret military facilities across the country. In the past, opposition figures exposed the location of some of Iran's main nuclear sites.
Hmmmm.
By the way, if I'm not mistaken, the MEK is still considered a terror organization in the US and EU.
I am an Orthodox Jew - some would even call me 'ultra-Orthodox.' Born in Boston, I was a corporate and securities attorney in New York City for seven years before making aliya to Israel in 1991 (I don't look it but I really am that old :-). I have been happily married to the same woman for thirty-five years, and we have eight children (bli ayin hara) ranging in age from 13 to 33 years and nine grandchildren. Four of our children are married! Before I started blogging I was a heavy contributor on a number of email lists and ran an email list called the Matzav from 2000-2004. You can contact me at: IsraelMatzav at gmail dot com
While the Obama administration tries to make the United States' nuclear missile arsenal disappear through drastic cuts to the number of missiles, the Russians are seeking to make their missiles disappear differently. The Russians have developed a technology that covers up the tracks made by their missile launchers from their hiding place to the launch point, making the missiles' locations impossible to pinpoint from satellites. What's worse is that the Russians may sell this technology to countries that have purchased its missiles... including Iran and Syria. 
