The Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps Unveils The ‘FATTAH’ Hypersonic Ballistic Missile With A Range of 1400km and a Maximum Speed of Mach 15
The Aerospace Forces of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) unveiled a Hypersonic Ballistic Missile, which is claimed to have advanced technology, at a ceremony held in the capital, Tehran, on Tuesday, June 6. The launch ceremony of the ballistic missile called “Fattah” was attended by President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Sayyid Ebrahim Raisi, Revolutionary Guards Commander Major General Hossein Salami, Revolutionary Guards Aerospace Forces Commander Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, and many high-ranking military officials. Later that day, Iranian media published footage showing the first known test firing of the missile in question, and it was reported that the test was successful.
In his speech during the launch ceremony of Iran’s new hypersonic missile Fattah, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Sayyid Ebrahim Raisi stated that the Islamic Republic began its efforts to become independent in the defense sector with the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s. Stating that Iran did not even have missiles to defend its cities at that time, Raisi said, “Today, we have understood that we have deterrent power. Of course, this power and force heralds security and stable peace for the countries in the region.” In the continuation of his speech, Iran’s President emphasized that the new missile’s power means that the region will be protected from traitors and foreign attacks, and also claimed that Iran’s missile capability sends a message of security to the people of the region.
“The Fattah hypersonic missile is a unique missile in the world,” Iranian Revolutionary Guards Aerospace Force Commander Sardar Hajizadeh stated. “With the unveiling of this missile, Iran became one of four countries in the world to have this technology. Thanks to the technology it has, there is no anti-missile system that can destroy the Fattah missile. Since the Fattah missile moves in different directions and heights, it cannot be destroyed by any missile.” Hajizadeh further stated that the country’s defense industry efforts would not stop with the production of this missile, and that developments would continue so that no enemy would even think of attacking Iran.
Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, Commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Aerospace Forces, originally revealed the development of a hypersonic ballistic missile in November last year. Hajizadeh claimed in his statement at the time that the ballistic missile in question could achieve hypersonic speeds, overcome advanced air defense systems, and maneuver in and out of the atmosphere, and that it will be unveiled soon. Sayyid Ebrahim Raisi, the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, named the missile, which was ready for unveiling and testing after 7 months. The name “Fattah” is one of the 99 names of God accepted in the Islamic faith and generally means the one who realizes absolute justice.
There is not much information yet about IRGC’s Fattah hypersonic missile. Fattah is thought to be an improved derivative of the Fateh series of short-range ballistic missiles, according to Iranian media. The missile uses a Maneuverable Reentry Vehicle (MaRV) warhead and is equipped with a solid propellant propulsion system and a second stage moving nozzle. The design of the warhead and its special wingtips enhances the maneuverability of this missile in its last stage against anti-missile defense systems. The cruise speed of the missile, which has a range of 1,400 km, has varied between Mach 13-15, and it is claimed that the missile has a speed of more than Mach 5 during target engagement and is capable of hitting Tel Aviv in 6 minutes and 30 seconds (approximately 400 seconds).
Iran’s newest missile has also caught the attention of US, French and Israeli officials. In response to a question about the alleged hypersonic missile at the daily press briefing, White House National Security Council Strategic Communications Coordinator John Kirby said, “I’m not going to talk about the specific reports of this — this alleged hypersonic missile, but we have laid down very clear sanctions and other activities to push back on what Iran is doing in the region, again, to include their ballistic missile program.” According to a French foreign ministry statement, this incident was another violation of UN Security Council Resolution 2231, which came in the midst of the ongoing escalation of Iran’s nuclear and ballistic programs. In the continuation of the statement, the Ministry stated “these activities come amid the continued escalation of Iranian’s nuclear and ballistic programs. We remain fully mobilized to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.”
In response to these statements from Western powers, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani stated that the missiles developed in the country are conventional and that “Iran’s missile activities carried out for defensive purposes are completely legitimate according to international law.” Kanaani accused these countries of violating their international obligations on a variety of issues, including nuclear experiments, the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, and hosting nuclear missiles, saying, “These countries, which play a destructive role in regional and international affairs, have no right to comment on the legal defense power of the Islamic Republic of Iran.”