Iran Unveils ‘First Hypersonic Missile’
Iran on June 6, 2023, unveiled its first-ever hypersonic missile, Fattah (or “opener” in Farsi), which it says can penetrate missile defence systems and will give it a military edge.
- The unveiling ceremony, was attended by President Ebrahim Raisi and senior commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
About Fattah Missile
- It is an intermediate-range ballistic missile developed by Iran.
- Iran claimed that it is a hypersonic missile capable of traveling at 15 times the speed of sound.
- The missile can move at a speed of up to Mach 15 (5,145 meters or 16,880 feet per second):
- It has a range of 1,400km (870 miles) features a moveable secondary nozzle and employs solid propellants that allow for high maneuverability.
Hypersonic missiles
- Hypersonic missiles move at five times the speed of sound or greater and are maneuverable, making them difficult for defence systems and radars to target.
| Missiles | Mach No. |
| Subsonic | <1 |
| Transonic | =1 |
| Supersonic | >1 |
| Hypersonic | >5 |
- The United States, Russia, China, North Korea, and India are believed to be the only countries to have successfully tested hypersonic missiles, but exact details of the weaponry remain scant.
- India has launched the Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle (HSTDV) programme, under which it is developing an indigenous, dual-capable hypersonic cruise missile.
- India successfully tested a Mach 6 scram-jet in 2019 and 2020.