Iran Says It Successfully Tested Hypersonic Missile
Zolfaghar ballistic missile. Source: Tasnim News.
Iran successfully tested an indigenously-developed hypersonic ballistic missile and will unveil it soon, the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Aerospace Force General Amir Ali Hajizadeh announced on May 29.
Hypersonic missiles travel and maneuver at least five times faster than the speed of sound at low altitudes in the atmosphere, which makes them extremely difficult to track and intercept.
“This new missile is capable of passing through all missile defense systems. It targets the enemy’s anti-missile systems and is a big leap in the field of missiles,” the semi-official Tasnim news agency quoted the commander as saying. “The hypersonic missile has a high speed and can maneuver in and out of the atmosphere.”
Gen. Hajizadeh added that the missile can fly at a speed of Mach 12-13 and “maneuver both in and out of the earth’s atmosphere.”
The commander made similar remarks in November last year while announcing the missile’s development for the first time.
This new announcement comes after Iran last week unveiled the Kheybar medium-range ballistic missile, the latest version of the Khorramshahr line of missiles. The missile has a range of 2,000 kilometers, a speed of Mach 8-12 and can reportedly be launched in less than 12 minutes.
The United States described Iran’s ever growing missile program as a “serious threat” following the unveiling of the Kheybar.
“Iran’s development, and proliferation of, ballistic missiles poses a serious threat to regional and international security and remains a significant non-proliferation challenge,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters at the time.
Iran has been working nonstop to develop its missile capabilities in order to deal with increasing threats from the U.S. and Israel. Despite facing sanctions and sabotage, Tehran’s large missile program made a number of breakthroughs in the last few years.
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