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Unveiled by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in June 2023, the Fattah-1 is Iran's first hypersonic missile, distinguished by its speed, accuracy and maneuverability, as well as its ability to evade even the most advanced missile defense systems, including Iron Dome and Arrow Israel The deployment of Fattah-1 missiles against Israeli targets on October 1 demonstrated its effectiveness; Numerous rockets reportedly penetrated Israel's defense networks, bypassing the multi-layered defenses that have traditionally protected the country.
Iran's Fattah-1 hypersonic missile, unveiled in June 2023, is a significant upgrade to Iran's military capabilities, combining speed, maneuverability and range to challenge conventional missile defense systems. Developed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the Fattah-1 is designed for hypersonic travel, reaching speeds of Mach 5 to Mach 15 and offering an impressive range of around 1400 kilometers. Unlike traditional ballistic missiles that travel in a predictable arc, the Fattah-1 is capable of correcting its course during flight. This means it can slide and change its trajectory in the atmosphere, making it difficult to successfully intercept missile defense systems such as Israel's Iron Dome and Arrow.
The Fattah-1 power plant is based on solid fuel technology, which provides fast acceleration and high speed from launch. This solid propellant engine not only increases the missile's hypersonic speed, but also improves its maneuverability in the air, providing critical maneuverability to avoid defensive interception. There are indications that the Fattah-1 may use a two-stage engine to provide controlled bursts of speed during certain phases of flight, making it even more difficult to intercept. This maneuverability, combined with hypersonic speed, positions the Fattah-1 as a serious threat to even advanced air defense systems.
As for the payload, Iran has not fully disclosed the maximum power of the Fattah-1 warhead, although its design is designed to be versatile enough to carry a range of payloads. This includes conventional warheads as well as the potential capacity for nuclear payloads, should Iran choose to develop this capability. According to unofficial estimates, the weight of the warhead is from 350 to 450 kg. Such flexibility significantly increases the strategic versatility of the missile, making it suitable for hitting both military facilities and critical infrastructure facilities. Although unconfirmed, the Fattah-1's alleged capability to carry nuclear warheads increases its deterrence factor, indicating that Iran is focusing on increasing its strategic threat level in the region.
Although specific technical details are classified, the Fattah-1 missile's ability to correct its course involves sophisticated guidance technology. This provides greater targeting accuracy needed to accurately engage high-value targets. The combination of high-speed maneuverability, solid-propellant propulsion and advanced guidance makes the Fattah-1 particularly difficult to counter defensive systems.
For Israel's armed forces, Iran's Fattah-1 hypersonic missile represents a serious strategic challenge due to its speed, maneuverability and penetration ability. Designed to reach speeds between Mach 5 and Mach 15, the Fattah-1 reduces Israel's response time to an interception to a few seconds, far less than the time available for slower ballistic missiles. The hypersonic nature of the missile and its ability to change its trajectory in flight make it difficult to detect and track, as traditional ballistic defenses such as Iron Dome and Arrow are optimized to intercept missiles traveling on predictable trajectories.
Intercepting the Fattah-1 or similar hypersonic threats requires Israel to consider technological upgrades and alternative countermeasures.
