Iran showed off its brand-new hypersonic missile, demonstrating how far along it is in developing its arsenal.
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Commander, Brig. Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh and Supreme Leader Sayyid Ali Khamenei participated in a ceremony on June 6 to officially display Iran's newest weapon, the "Fattah" medium-range ballistic missile. This missile, Iran's first hypersonic weapon, can go up to 870 miles at 13-15 times faster than sound.
According to Iranian officials, the Fattah missile has been widely placed on a billboard in central Tehran, boasting that it can attack Israel in as quick as "400 seconds" (about 6-7 minutes after launch), according to Popular Mechanics.
Hypersonic missiles, known for their velocities above Mach 5, move unexpectedly upon re-entry into the atmosphere, making them difficult to identify and intercept. While several nations are actively working to create hypersonic weapons to gain a military advantage, the creation and use of such military technologies face significant challenges.
As these sophisticated missiles travel at high speeds, it produces superheated particles that interfere with radio transmissions. However, these weapons' actual value lies in their sustained velocity, the low trajectory for stealth, and exceptional maneuverability, allowing them to outmaneuver interception attempts within air defense systems' optimal engagement range.
Iran claims that the Fattah missile, which uses solid fuels and has an adjustable secondary nozzle, is remarkably maneuverable both within and outside the Earth's atmosphere. This missile technological improvement, which Iranian officials call a "generational leap," boosts Iran's deterrent and claims that no missile defense system can stop it.
More Iranian Hypersonic Missiles Soon
While Iran did not outright threaten Israel at the Fattah missile unveiling, the possibility of hitting Israeli areas remains. Although the Fattah missile's present range prevents it from hitting Tel Aviv entirely, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps aerospace chief commander Amir Ali Hajizadeh said that 2,000 km (1,242 miles)-range hypersonic missiles might be developed in the near future, according to an Al Jazeera report.
This should focus the minds on the upcoming expiration of UNSCR 2231's restrictions on Iran's missile program in October--under five months from now. What's the U.S. and E3's strategy?https://t.co/daOYEAzYng
— Jason Brodsky (@JasonMBrodsky) June 6, 2023
Hajizadeh said during his address that the newly unveiled weapon's distinctive multi-directional and multi-altitude mobility makes it immune to destruction by any other missile.
Given previous occasions when the nation presented prototypes of stealth fighters as operational aircraft, replete with doctored photographs showing the "fighters" in flight, taking Iran's technical claims with care is imperative.
Exaggerated Claims
Iran's ballistic missiles have increased speed, range, and accuracy compared to their predecessors. These sophisticated weapons have already proven successful in operations against ISIS, Israeli, Kurdish, and American troops. Older missile designs like the Emad, Ghadr-110, Khorammshar, and Qasem Soleimani MRBMs already compete with or outperform Fattah in range, despite certain inherent drawbacks.
Although there is no outside verification of Iran's claims on the capabilities of its Fattah missile, analysts recognize Iran's real advancements in missile development. Although some analysts think Iran's claims are overblown, they acknowledge the nation's significant achievements in this field of weapons development, according to CNN.
United States officials see Iran's ballistic missile arsenal, which includes hypersonic capabilities, as a critical instrument of Iranian coercion and power projection in the Middle East region.
