Iran announces development of new hypersonic glide vehicle

Iran showcased its strides in modern weapon system development with the recent unveiling of Fattah-2, a cutting-edge hypersonic missile.

For the first time, the new hypersonic missile was unveiled during the visit of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces to the latest achievements of the IRGC Aerospace Force on Sunday.

The Iranian state media said the Fattah II missile is a hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV), a projectile that glides to its target after the initial launch, offering substantially more maneuverability compared to a ballistic warhead traveling in a more predictable arc pattern.

Fattah-2 was revealed to be equipped with a hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV) warhead, enabling agile maneuvers at extraordinary hypersonic velocities, as reported by Tasnim, an Iranian news agency.

The unveiling follows Iran’s earlier introduction, in June, of its inaugural indigenous hypersonic missile, named Fattah. Local media reported that Fattah, a two-stage missile, has a range spanning 1,400 kilometers and a remarkable velocity clocking at Mach 13 (approximately 16,000 kilometers per hour).

Notably, Fattah is armed with a spherical engine powered by solid fuel, coupled with adjustable nozzles, facilitating omnidirectional maneuvers within and beyond Earth’s atmosphere, as outlined in Tasnim’s report.

IRGC officials had said in June that the elite force could look to improve its range of hypersonics to 2,000km (1,242 miles), which would effectively cover the distance to Iran’s regional archenemy, Israel.

Fattah-2 elevates Iran’s prowess in hypersonic weaponry, categorized within the HGV hypersonic weapons class, showcasing the nation’s technological advancements in this exclusive domain. This unveiling positions Iran among a select group of nations—only four globally—that have mastered the engineering and manufacture of such sophisticated hypersonic weaponry.

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