Iran announces it has built a hypersonic ballistic missile

Eva Deschamps / November 10, 2022

Iran has manufactured a hypersonic ballistic missile for the first time, General Amirali Hajizadeh, commander of the Revolutionary Guards Aerospace Force, announced Thursday.

A hypersonic missile travels at speeds in excess of 6,000 kilometers per hour.

"This hypersonic ballistic missile can counter air defense shields. It will be able to pass through all missile defense systems and I do not think that there will be a technology to cope with it for decades," said the general, quoted by the Fars agency.

According to him, "this missile that targets enemy anti-missile systems represents a great generation leap in the field of missiles.

According to Janes magazine, hypersonic missiles pose challenges to radar designers because of their high speed and maneuverability.

Several countries are seeking to develop hypersonic missiles. Russia, North Korea, and the United States had announced testing by 2021, reigniting fears of a new arms race.

Russia has taken a lead in this area, with several types of such missiles.

Moscow announced in August that it had deployed aircraft equipped with the latest hypersonic missiles in Kaliningrad, a Russian enclave surrounded by Nato countries where the conflict in Ukraine has heightened tensions.

In March, in the first weeks of the invasion of Ukraine, Russia announced that it had used hypersonic "Kinjal" missiles, which was probably a first.