A hypersonic missile is maneuverable, making it difficult to track and defend. (Representative)
Iran has developed a hypersonic missile capable of hitting all defense systems, its Revolutionary Guards aerospace unit commander General Amirali Hajizadeh said on Thursday.
Hypersonic missiles, like conventional ballistic missiles that can deliver nuclear warheads, can fly at more than five times the speed of sound.
“This hypersonic ballistic missile was developed to counter the air defense shield,” Hajizadeh was quoted as saying by Iran’s Fars news agency.
“It will be able to breach all systems of anti-missile defense,” said the general, adding that he believes it will take decades to develop a system capable of this.
“This missile, which targets enemy anti-missile systems, represents a great generational leap in the field of missiles.”
Days after the announcement, Iran admitted to sending drones to Russia, but refused to do so after Russia invaded Ukraine.
The Washington Post reported on October 16 that Iran was preparing to send missiles to Russia, but Tehran dismissed the report as “completely false”.
Unlike ballistic missiles, hypersonic missiles fly on a lower trajectory in the atmosphere, potentially reaching targets more quickly.
North Korea’s test of a hypersonic missile last year raised concerns about the race to acquire the technology.
Russia currently leads the race to develop missiles, followed by China and the United States.
A hypersonic missile is maneuverable, making it difficult to track and defend.
While countries such as the United States have developed systems designed to defend against cruise and ballistic missiles, the ability to track down and take down a hypersonic missile remains a question.
(Except for the title, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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