Iran unveils 'hypersonic missile' able to beat air defences

Iran claimed on Tuesday that it had created a hypersonic missile capable of travelling at 15 times the speed of sound adding a new weapon to its arsenal as tensions remain high with the US over Tehrans nuclear programmeThe new missile called Fattah or Conqueror in Farsi was unveiled even as Iran said it would reopen its diplomatic posts on Tuesday in Saudi Arabia after reaching a deacutetente with Riyadh following years of conflictThe tightly choreographed segment on Iranian state television apparently sought to show that Tehrans hardline government can still deploy arms against its enemies across much of the Middle EastToday we feel that the deterrent power has been formed Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said at the event This power is an anchor of lasting security and peace for the regional countriesGen Amir Ali Hajizadeh the head of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guards aerospace programme unveiled what appeared to be a model of the missile Hajizadeh claimed the missile had a range of up to 1400 kilometres 870 milesThats about midrange for Irans expansive ballistic missile arsenal which the Guard has built up over the years as Western sanctions largely prevent it from accessing advanced weaponry There exists no system that can rival or counter this missile Hajizadeh claimedThat claim however depends on how manoeuvrable the missile is Ballistic missiles fly on a trajectory in which antimissile systems like the Patriot can anticipate their path and intercept them Tuesdays event showed what appeared to be a moveable nozzle for the Fattah which could allow it to change trajectories in flight The more irregular the missiles flight path the more difficult it becomes to interceptIranian officials did not release footage of a Fattah successfully launching and then striking a target Hajizadeh later said that there had been a ground test of the missiles engine A ground test involves a rocket motor being put on a stand and fired to check its abilities while launching a missile with that rocket motor is much more complexHypersonic weapons which fly at speeds in excess of Mach 5 or five times the speed of sound could pose crucial challenges to missile defence systems because of their speed and manoeuvrability Iran described the Fattah as being able to reach Mach 15 which is 15 times the speed of soundChina is believed to be pursuing the weapons as is America Russia claims to already be fielding the weapons and has said it used them on the battlefield in Ukraine However speed and manoeuvrability isnt a guarantee the missile will successfully strike a target Ukraines air force in May said it shot down a Russian hypersonic Kinzhal missile with a Patriot batteryGulf Arab countries allied with the US widely use the Patriot missile system in the region Israel Irans main rival in the Mideast also has its own robust air defencesIn November Hajizadeh initially claimed that Iran had created a hypersonic missile without offering evidence to support it That claim came during the nationwide protests that followed the September death of 22yearold Mahsa Amini after her arrest by the countrys morality policeTuesdays announcement came as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is to begin a visit to Saudi ArabiaThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever