Iran's supposedly unstoppable hypersonic missile - and an Israeli response

On June 6, Iran announced that it had developed a hypersonic missile capable of speeds up to Mach-15, called the Fattah.

It made quite clear that the main target of the missile is Israeli civilians. 

Throughout Tehran, banners appeared with a mock-up of the weapon and the words "400 seconds to Tel Aviv" in Farsi and Hebrew.

Even with this announcement and explicit threat against Israel, the US has been negotiating with Iran to come up with an "informal, unwritten" agreement that would be worth exactly the nonexistent paper it is written on. The only US response to the Fattah announcement was to sanction some Chinese and Hong Kong suppliers of technology to Iran.

While the news, if true, is troubling, the timing couldn't have come at a better time for Israel's  Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, who created Iron Dome and David's Sling anti-missile systems. It announced this week it was building a defense for the hypersonic missiles that Iran claimed were impossible to defend against. 

From Airforce Technology:

On 14 June Israeli defence company Rafael Advanced Defence Systems announced the development of a breakthrough interceptor called “Sky Sonic,” a defensive measure against the increasing danger posed by hypersonic missiles.

The system is set to be unveiled at the upcoming Paris Air Show, a premier event in the aerospace industry.

Rafael describe Sky Sonic interceptor a “major technological leap in hypersonic missile defence,” crediting its manoeuvrability and speed capabilities for its ability to neutralise hypersonic missiles – that can travel ten times faster than the speed of sound – with unmatched precision and stealth.

In recent years, the danger posed by hypersonic missiles has intensified, prompting the need for preemptive actions to protect national security. This family of weapons includes hypersonic atmospheric cruise missiles, gliders, and cruisers that are capable of travelling at extraordinary speeds, all while maintaining remarkable accuracy and manoeuvrability. Hypersonic missiles possess the unique capability to alter their trajectory during flight, a feature that sets them apart from ballistic missiles.

One of the primary obstacles to creating a complete defensive strategy against hypersonic threats is the difficulty in detecting and tracking these threats, which requires a well-coordinated sensor system that can precisely pinpoint and track the threat’s movement throughout its entire trajectory.

Accurate trajectory prediction requires an interceptor that can quickly reach the target, reducing uncertainty related to the target’s location. The interceptor, in order to effectively pursue and neutralise the hypersonic threat, must display remarkable manoeuvrability and operate on a non-ballistic trajectory.

Rafael is known for its contributions in developing advanced air defence systems including the “Iron Dome,” “David’s Sling,” and the state-of-the-art “Iron Beam” laser-based system, that are in high-demand by international customers and well regarded for their efficacy.

Defending against hypersonic missiles is difficult, but not impossible. The Rafael video is light on details but they do have an impressive track record. 

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