Libya has accelerated development of a medium-range
ballistic missile with Iran's assistance.
Western intelligence sources said Tripoli has increased investment in
purchasing components, subsystems and training required for the assembly of
a missile with a range of between 900 and 1,200 kilometers. The missile is
meant to be based on North Korea's intermediate-range No-Dong missile.
Iran's role in the Libyan missile program includes the construction of assembly lines and a
facility to produce liquid-fuel propellants as well as the training of
Libyan personnel. The training is taking place in Iran, Middle East Newsline reported. Teheran is also
expected to supply engines for a new Scud-class variant.
The intelligence sources, in information confirmed by U.S. officials,
said Libya is focusing on production of a Scud-class missile that would fall
short of the range of a No-Dong but with a longer range than Syria's Scud D.
Libya is believed to possess both Scud B and Scud C missiles. The Scud C
missiles apparently arrived from North Korea in 1999 but have not
been deployed.
On Monday, the London-based A-Sharq Al Awsat daily
reported that Iran and Libya have been negotiating a deal for the
production of Iranian missiles in Libya. The newspaper identified the
missile as Iran's Fatah solid-fuel missile, a project that is being held up
because of recent political tensions between Teheran and Tripoli.
A-Sharq Al Awsat said the deal calls for the Iranian establishment of a
missile production line and the sale of advanced missiles to Libya. The
project is meant to enable Libya to produce missiles with a range of 1,500
kilometers, which can reach Israel and much of Europe.
The No-Dong has a range of about 1,300 kilometers and the Scud D about 700
kilometers.
The effort includes the construction of an infrastructure for the
missile program. Manufacturing facilities and assembly lines are being
constructed mostly with the help of Iran and North Korea. Other suppliers,
the sources said, include China, India, Russia and Yugoslavia.
The sources said Libya's effort began soon after the United Nations
suspended sanctions against Tripoli in 1999. The following year, Western
authorities began detecting North Korean shipments of missile components to
Libya. At least three shipments were seized by such countries as Britain,
India and Switzerland.
The sources said Libya might have also obtained a shipment of No-Dong
missiles in late 2000. They said a sighting of what appeared to be a No-Dong
took place in November of that year, but was never confirmed.
