Kheibar Shekan Missile:
Iran has been using the Kheibar Shekan missile in complex attacks, proving itself to be an adaptable adversary for the U.S.
- Kheibar Shekan Missile is Iran’s latest long-range solid-fuel ballistic missile.
- The name means “breaker of Khayber” in Arabic, a reference to the Battle of Khayber in Arab history.
- It is the fourth generation of the Khorramshahr missile family.
- It has a reported range of around 1,450 km.
- It is powered by a locally developed ‘Arond’ engine integrated within its fuel tank to minimise length and enhance camouflage.
- It uses solid fuel.
- This allows for faster launch preparation, easier storage, and better concealment, key advantages in modern missile warfare.
- It can be launched from a mobile platform.
- The missile operates in three phases: takeoff, mid-flight guidance with rear engines, and a final descent guided by precision engines.
- It uses a satellite-guided system and manoeuvrable warheads for enhanced precision.
- Its speed is said to reach 19,500 km/h in the atmosphere and 9,800 km/h outside it, roughly Mach 12.
- Due to this speed, it can make interception difficult even for advanced air defence systems.
- The missile’s aerodynamic design, including the absence of ailerons, reduces air friction and radar detection, increasing its chances of evading interception.
