Iran Unveils Upgraded Hypersonic Missile
Iran unveiled an upgraded version of its hypersonic Fattah missile and other advanced weapons at a military exhibition put on for Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ aerospace division in Tehran on Sunday.
No information was provided about the speed and range of the upgraded version, Fattah II. However, IRGC officials have previously said that they are aiming to improve their hypersonic missile range to 2,000 kilometers (1,242 miles), which would reach Iran’s regional archenemy, Israel.
A Fattah missile is a hypersonic glide vehicle, a precision two-stage missile designed to glide to its target after being launched, offering substantially more maneuverability than a standard ballistic missile. The name Fattah, which means “conqueror” or “victor” in Arabic, was chosen by Khamenei.
Iran unveiled the first Fattah missile in June, joining only a few countries, including China and Russia, that have weapons capable of traveling long distances with high maneuverability. At the time, Iran said the missile could travel at up to 5.1 kilometers (3.2 miles) per second and had a range of up 1,400 kilometers (870 miles).
Also on display on Sunday was an array of other weapons, including the Iranian-made Gaza drone, a new version of the Shahed series of unmanned aerial vehicles, and an upgraded version of the 9-Dey missile defense system, which can launch short- to medium-range projectiles.
The IRGC also displayed a new missile defense system, Mehran, which is said to employ solid-fuel missiles.
At the event, Khamenei again condemned Israel and its Western allies for the war in the Gaza Strip and called on Muslim countries to sever ties with Israel.
