Fattah-1 (Persian: فتاح, lit.'conqueror') is an Iranian medium-range ballistic missile developed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and unveiled in June 2023. It is Iran's first hypersonic ballistic missile. According to Iran, its high maneuverability and speed helps it to evade missile defense systems.[4][5][6][7] In November 2023, Iran unveiled a newer version of the missile, Fattah-2.[8][9]

Fattah-1
Fattah-1's presentation, 2023
TypeHypersonic medium-range ballistic missile (alleged)
Place of originIran
Service history
Used byIran
Wars2024 Iran–Israel conflict
Production history
Designer Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps
ManufacturerIslamic Revolutionary Guard Corps
Produced2022
Specifications
WarheadConventional
Nuclear (allegedly)[1]
Warhead weight350–450 kg (770–990 lb)[2]

PropellantSolid fuel engine
Operational
range
1,400 km (870 mi)[3]
Maximum speed Mach 13–15

Its name, meaning "conqueror" or "bringer of victory", "victor" in Arabic, is in reference to Al-Fattāḥ, was selected by the Supreme Leader of Iran.[not verified in body]

The missile has been reported to have the capability to carry nuclear warheads should Iran further pursue its nuclear program.[10]

Description

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According to Iran, it can maneuver in and out of the atmosphere, and is capable of bypassing missile defenses.[11] Its successor, Fattah-2 is a hypersonic glide vehicle and offers substantially more maneuverability compared to a ballistic warhead travelling in a more predictable arc pattern.[12][13]

History

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On 10 November 2022, during the 11th anniversary of the death of Hassan Tehrani Moghaddam, known as the "father of Iranian missiles", Iran announced it has built an advanced hypersonic ballistic missile calling it a "major generational leap". Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, IRGC Aerospace Force commander, said the missile has a high velocity and can maneuver below and above the Earth's atmosphere. He said "it can breach all the systems of anti-missile defence" and added that he believed it would take decades before a system capable of intercepting it is developed.[14][15] The missile was unveiled in a ceremony on 6 June 2023.[6]

Iran may have used Fattah-1 missiles in its strikes against Israel on 1 October 2024, according to an analysis by The New York Times.[16] According to Dr. Jeffrey Lewis, researchers from the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies (CNS) have identified Fattah-1 debris from both the 1 October strikes as well as the April 2024 Iranian strikes against Israel.[17]

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ Motamedi, Maziar. "Fattah: Iran unveils its first hypersonic missile". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2024-09-01.
  2. ^ "Iran's Fattah hypersonic missile: real threat and technological challenge". Defence Industry Europe. 2023-06-08. Retrieved 2023-07-11.
  3. ^ "Fattah Hypersonic MRBM". GlobalSecurity.org. 2023-06-08. Retrieved 2023-07-11.
  4. ^ "ایران مدعی ساخت موشک فراصوتی شد که با هیچ موشکی قابل انهدام نیست". euronews (in Persian). 2023-06-06. Retrieved 2023-06-06.
  5. ^ "Iran unveils first hypersonic missile named Fattah: Report". Al Arabiya English. 2023-06-06. Retrieved 2023-06-06.
  6. ^ a b Motamedi, Maziar. "Fattah: Iran unveils its first hypersonic missile". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2023-06-06.
  7. ^ Motamedi, Maziar. "Iran has a hypersonic missile. What does that mean?". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2023-06-08.
  8. ^ "Iran's Khamenei urges Muslim states to cut political ties with Israel for 'limited period'". Reuters. 2023-11-19. Retrieved 2024-10-02. Khamenei made his latest comments while attending an exhibition showcasing the "latest achievements" of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' Aerospace Force, including the Fattah 2, a new version of what is said to be Iran's first hypersonic missile.
  9. ^ "Iran issues threat to Israel, US with new hypersonic weapon". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. 2023-11-19. Retrieved 2024-04-21.
  10. ^ Motamedi, Maziar. "Fattah: Iran unveils its first hypersonic missile". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2024-09-01.
  11. ^ Hafezi Parisa. "Iran presents its first hypersonic ballistic missile, state media reports". Reuters. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  12. ^ "Iran unveils upgraded hypersonic missile as Khamenei touts Israel 'failure'". www.aljazeera.com. 2023-11-19. Retrieved 2024-10-02.
  13. ^ "Iran issues threat to Israel, US with new hypersonic weapon". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. 2023-11-19. Retrieved 2024-04-21.
  14. ^ "Iran says it has built hypersonic ballistic missile -Tasnim". Reuters. 2022-11-10. Retrieved 2022-11-10.
  15. ^ "Iran says it has developed hypersonic missile". France 24. 2022-11-10. Retrieved 2022-11-10.
  16. ^ Mellen, Riley (1 October 2024). "Iran appears to have used its most advanced missiles in the attack on Israel". The New York Times. Retrieved 1 October 2024.
  17. ^ Jeffrey Lewis [@ArmsControlWonk] (October 1, 2024). "The initial reaction among the @JamesMartinCNS OSINT team is we're seeing more debris from newer Fattah-1 solid-fuel missiles than we did in April, which may explain the apparently more successful nature of the strike -- although it's early and more data could change our minds" (Tweet). Retrieved October 1, 2024 – via Twitter.