Other Names: Latifiyah Double Base Propellant Plant; Latifiyah SSM Equipment Production Facility, Al Qa-Qa Establishment Salah Al-Din Plant; Salah Al-Din Powder Factory, Khaled Plant, Al Qa-Qa Ammo and Explosives Plant
Location: Baghdad, Latifiyah, approximately 60km south of Baghdad
Subordinate to: Military Industrialization Commission
Primary Function: Production of double-base propellants, nitric acid, explosives.

Description:
Al Qa-Qa State Establishment was a huge facility located in Latifiyah, adjacent to the Rashid Establishment, Ma'moun Factory. The site contained five main production sub-areas, including those for double-base propellants, explosives, and nitric acids as well as smaller facilities for warhead filling, isomer separation, engine static testing, storage, etc. The agreement to build the nitric acid plant was reached with a Yugoslav firm in 1974 but much of the equipment was bought from Germany. The facility was completed in 1981, just in time to meet rising explosive requirements (warheads, bombs, etc.) during the Iran-Iraq War.

Al Qa-Qa was involved in the nuclear weapons program (see entry under Nuclear Facilities), but it also undertook several activities for the ballistic missile program. First, the establishment removed high explosives (HE) from Scud/R-17 warheads by steaming and, following their modification to the Al-Hussein type, re-filled them with the appropriate, smaller amount of HE. Second, al Qa-Qa was involved in efforts to indigenously produce Scud propellants (TM-185 main fuel, AK-27I oxidizer, and TG-02 start fuel) under a project known as Al-Muntaser. Similarly, al Qa-Qa was asked to develop processes to re-generate AK-27I and TG-02 and to contribute to efforts to indigenously produce UDMH fuel. All of this work was carried out under the auspices of Project 144/7. Third, al Qa-Qa was the location for R&D efforts for Scud launcher modification (for Al-Hussein launch capable). This work under Project 144/5 began in October 1987 and lasted through August 1989, when an explosion at al Qa-Qa forced the move of the launcher project to a site at Dawra. Fourth, and finally, al Qa-Qa participated in the Ababil-50 rocket project, a joint effort with Yugoslavia.

The facility was heavily bombed during Desert Storm and the initial years following the war were spent on reconstruction. The following are some of the key locations and activities at the establishment:

• Double Base Propellant plant: equipment and materials to produce and inspect double base propellant grains for Ababil-50, 81mm, 107mm, and 122mm rockets.
• Nitric Acid Plant and associated units: production of nitric acids and explosives.
• Static Motor Test Facility: six static motor test positions, with a 5-10 ton thrust capability.

Following the first Gulf War, al Qa-Qa was not known to be deeply involved in the missile program, aside from the production of the Ababil-50 booster and sustainer grains and warhead filling for the Al-Samoud and Al-Fateh missiles. In addition, the establishment manufactured the double-base grain for the Al-Samoud solid-propellant gas generator and was involved in the service life extension program for the Luna rocket.

Al Qa-Qa was the location where in December 2002 IAEA inspectors and Iraqi authorities counted the 81mm aluminum pipes received by Iraq. The pipes were alleged in the UK dossier to be rotors for a centrifuge program.

Key Sources: UN Inspection data; CNS UNMOVIC Inspection Database, <http://cns.miis.edu/Iraq-Inspections>.

	Updated October 2003