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Jinin / Al Faw 150/200

After UNSCOM inspectors left in 1998, Iraq continued with one cruise missile project and began another. Both of these modifications were to the HY-2 anti-ship cruise missile. The first project, which was declared by Iraq in its July 1996 Full, Final, and Complete Disclosure (FFCD) as the Al Faw 150/200, was an attempt to extend the range of the HY-2 from about 100 km to 150 km. An attempt to build a 1,000-km range, turbojet-powered cruise missile was a more ambitious second project known as Jinin that began in late 2001.

Al Faw 150/200

The Al Faw was a secret project (between MIC, the Iraqi Navy, and the Al Karamah General Company) that sought to extend the range of the HY-2 cruise missile to 150 km using cannibalized components from their inventory of surplus C601 and C611 anti-ship cruise missiles and changes to the propulsion system. The Iraq Survey Group indicated that reporting from several sources consistently indicated that the extended range HY-2 successfully flew to at least 150 km, and possibly 168 km, violating the UN's 150 km limit. Although the goal of the program was to provide a greater stand-off capability against ships and to make up for the loss of an air-launched cruise missile capability, the research directly contributed to the longer range Jinin project.

Al Karamah experimented with different engines and propellant modifications to increase the HY-2 range. A different engine (C-611) using higher-energy propellants would be required to reach the range goal for the project. Conflicting reports from engineers involved in the program indicate Iraq used engines from the P-15, C601, and C611 as replacements for the HY-2 engine, and that each attempt was successful. According to several missile officials, Al Karamah changed the fuel used in the HY-2 from TG-02 to higher-energy AZ-11(a blend of 89% DETA and 11% UDMH). The change required adjustments to the engine fuel pumps to optimize the fuel/oxidizer mixture ratios. A flight test of the modified HY-2 achieved a range of 168 km, according to 'Abd-al-Tawab 'Abdallah Al Mullah Huwaysh, the Minister of Military Industrialization. After that, Al Karamah made engine and tank adjustments to keep the range below 150 km to avoid the attention of the UN. ISG judged it unlikely that all three engine replacements were successful. Changing the fuel and readjusting all of the engines mentioned would probably not result in a range extension to 168 km. A range extension to 150 km would be more likely achievable by using the C-611 engine with AZ-11 fuel.

ISG found that the intended warhead for the extended-range HY-2 was a HE warhead consisting of 500 kg of TNT. No information was uncovered to suggest this cruise missile would carry a submunition or CBW warhead.

The guidence system for Iraq's extended-range HY-2 program depended upon the acquisition of navigation and guidance systems that were more sophisticated than the original or readily available components; acquisition of such systems were forbidden by UN sanctions. Iraq began making plans to acquire such systems, but this was not a priority for the program. An engineer in the program indicated that modification and testing of the propulsion system were the first priorities, and navigation and guidance would be addressed nearer the end of the program development cycle. In the event Iraq could not scavenge or adapt guidance systems from other missiles like the C-611, it planned to acquire them from outside sources.

Jinin Missile Project

In 2001 and 2002, Iraq attempted to convert the HY-2 anti-ship cruise missile into a 1,000-km-range land-attack cruise missile (LACM), which would build on the HY-2 range extension project that had already introduced upgrades-performed by the Al Karamah General Company -to the flight computers, engines, and propellants. A missile with this range would be able to reach targets in Iran and Israel from within Iraq's borders. The Jinin project was interrupted by OIF before any flight tests occurred. According to an engineer in the Iraqi missile program, the Jinin project was conceived in November 2001 and received MIC approval in June 2002. In this time frame a host of other long-range projects involving ballistic missile systems were receiving increased attention. The project officially started on 1 June 2002 and was intended to be a three-to-five-year development project, but it was reportedly canceled in December 2002 after UNMOVIC entered Iraq. However, the original airframes and rocket engines were reassembled and returned to storage about two weeks after UNMOVIC's arrival for fear of the project being discovered.

The initial concept involved modifying an HY-2 by replacing the sustainer propulsion system with a modified helicopter turboshaft engine to sustain cruise flight, which would eliminate the oxidizer tanks and enable a much longer range. The program fell into four distinct phases, according a senior program manager, who felt a flight test could be conducted in three years.

• Phase one would use computer simulations to test concepts for maintaining structural integrity and stability during engine integration and would attempt to convert surplus helicopter turboshaft engines to produce thrust rather than torque.
• Phase two would test and install the engines.
• Phase three would build and flight test a prototype.
• Phase four would work on guidance, navigation, and control.

The propulsion system for the Jinin cruise missile would convert the HY-2 from rocket-powered to turbojet-powered using surplus helicopter engines. Initially, Iraq planned to use Mi-8 "TV-2" helicopter turbines modified to produce thrust rather than torque. Propulsion engineers at Ibn-Firnas estimated that the Jinin would require 2,670-Newtons (600 pounds) of thrust, but the TV-2 engine testbed (captured by ISG) was capable of producing only 2,000-Newtons (450 pounds) of thrust. As a result, the Ibn-Firnas Company began studying the conversion of the Mi-17 "TV-3" helicopter engine. The TV-3 testbed was shutdown upon the arrival of UNMOVIC inspectors to avoid detection.

Reportedly, Ibn-Firnas engineers believed the modification from turboshaft to turbojet would be difficult because the stators (vanes) could not be removed since they were integral to the engine's ball bearing assembly. They believed that, although the modifications would be challenging, they could solve the problems with enough time and money. However, reports vary as to the success and extent of the overall engine modification program, and to the status of the design documentation. An engineer with direct access indicated that the design work was intentionally destroyed in February 2003 due to fear of UNMOVIC's possible discovery of the project. Another engineer said that the rocket was still in the modeling phase and had not yet been tested. A third engineer said, however that a modified Mi-8 engine test succeeded, but with lower than expected thrust levels. These lower thrust levels were attributed to the poor condition of the older engine. Iraq expected that using newer Mi-17 engines would alleviate the thrust problem, but that work was interrupted by the arrival of UNMOVIC before testing could begin. The same source indicated that the modified Mi-8 engine was moved to Ibn-Firnas for storage. An Mi-8 turboshaft was recovered from the engine static test stand at Ibn-Firnas by US officials in late June 2003. Multiple sources involved in the program indicate the engine was used in the Jinin program.

The Jinin missile was intended to carry a HE warhead consisting of 500 kg of TNT. ISG has uncovered no information to suggest this missile would carry submunitions or CBW warheads.

The Jinin's navigation system was not a high priority at this early stage of the program. The priority was simply to get a missile to fly 1,000 km with an HE warhead. This approach was not unusual for Iraq-the Al Husayn project had adopted the same attitude, which is why the Al Husayn was so inaccurate, according to the senior program official. The HY-2's existing guidance system was not accurate enough and Iraq did not have access to any guidance system that would be sufficiently accurate. The program official indicated that the HY-2 guidance system would eventually be replaced by a GPS acquired from abroad. As an interim solution, Al Milad considered using the guidance system from the R-40 (AA-6) missile, which uses three accelerometers and three gyroscopes.