Iran presents a new hypersonic warhead, but Israel says it is not afraid of it
Iranian Prime Minister Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has developed a new form of hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV) for its “Fattah-2” hypersonic missile that can defeat air defenses Israelis like the “Iron Dome”.
Unveiled on Sunday during a military exhibition at the IRGC's aerospace division in Tehran, several other new weapons systems were also showcased.
Iran's new toys
As Al Jazeera reports, the other new systems included an updated version of the “9-Dey” missile defense system that could launch projectiles at short and medium ranges. Khamenei also unveiled a new version of the “Shahed” series of unmanned aerial vehicles. Furthermore, they showed a new missile defense system called "Mehran", which apparently uses solid fuel missiles, therefore easier to store and launch.
First unveiled in June this year, the Iranian “Fattah-2” (meaning “Conqueror” in Persian), if truly hypersonic, would place the country in a small club of other hypersonic missile nations such as China and Russia. However, according to Iranian state media, what makes the new “Fattah-2” different is that the missile's HGV also has hypersonic capabilities, not just the main rocket.
In this case the warhead, equipped with a custom-built HGV-type casing, would glide at hypersonic speed after the carrier reached these very high speeds during descent.
However, it is important to note that a missile's range depends on its maneuverability. Ballistic missiles follow a predictable path, making it easier for anti-missile systems like “Arrow” and “Patriot” to intercept them. However, if a missile has an irregular flight path like the one declared, it becomes more difficult to intercept, but its range is reduced.
No further information was provided regarding the updated version, nor were videos of any test launches released. However, Iran had previously revealed that the “Fattah” can travel up to Mach 15, equivalent to 5.1 kilometers per second (3.2 miles per second), and has a range of 1,400 kilometers (870 miles).
The IRGC announced in June that it could increase its hypersonic range to 2,000 km (1,243 miles), effectively covering the distance to Israel. The IRGC has also strengthened its arsenal of medium-range ballistic missiles in recent years due to Western sanctions, which prevent access to advanced weapons.
Unconfirmed capabilities
“I hear our enemies boasting about the weapons they are developing. To any such development, we have an even better response. Be it land, air or sea, including defensive and offensive means,” Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said during a visit to the Northern Military Command in the midst of a major exercise.
The Times of Israel also reports that Khamenei also examined a new Iranian drone called “Gaza.” Again, no further information other than the name was revealed. He also said Israel had suffered a “defeat” in its war against the Iranian-backed Palestinian terrorist group Hamas. Iran, which seeks Israel's demise, had previously hailed the October 7, 2023 attacks as a "success" but denied any direct involvement.
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The article Iran presents a new hypersonic warhead, but Israel says it is not afraid of it comes from Economic Scenarios .
This is a machine translation of a post published on Scenari Economici at the URL https://scenarieconomici.it/liran-presenta-una-nuova-testata-ipersonica-ma-israele-afferma-di-non-averne-paura/ on Wed, 22 Nov 2023 09:00:26 +0000.