Iran drone capabilities world class, hypersonic missile not new: IRGC

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
20 Nov 2022 18:15
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The top commander says the news of the advanced hypersonic ballistic missile which broke out recently "is nothing new."

Iranian missile Kheibar Shekan on display in the capital Tehran on September 22, 2022

IRGC Brigadier General Amirali Hajizadeh said on Sunday during a ceremony that Iran possesses world-class drone capabilities and has become a leading pioneer in missile technologies.

Iran officially stands on par with other global powers in terms of unmanned aerial vehicles, therefore challenging the world's most powerful armies, the official added.

"There are many other [military] achievements, which will be unveiled in due time; for example, the ability to hit enemy [targets] at a distance of 1,500 kilometers," the IRGC General said.

"The news of the advanced hypersonic ballistic missile, which was broken recently ... and is able to maneuver outside the atmosphere is nothing new, but was just announced recently."

General Hajizadeh further said Iran’s hypersonic missile was the outcome of unprecedented multi-generational technological developments, adding that it may take several to many decades for rival powers to catch up to the level of Iran.

"In the space field, we were recently able to launch Qaem 100 satellite carrier, which operates on solid fuel," the Iranian commander said, adding, "We will put the first satellite in the orbit during the current year, using Qaem 100 carrier."

On November 5, the IRGC Aerospace Force announced it successfully conducted a test launch of the Ghaem 100 satellite carrier into earth's sub-orbit.

The Ghaem 100 is a three-stage satellite launcher that uses solid fuel and is capable of launching 80 kg satellites into orbit at an altitude of 500 kilometers from the earth's surface.

Iran began its space program in the early 2000s, building its own satellite launcher on the Shahab-4 surface-to-air missile. The Semnan launch pad in the country's north was built in 2009.

Due to high costs, Iran's space program was suspended between 2015 and 2017. Two civilian test launches failed in 2019, but the Iranian military successfully launched two satellites into orbit in 2020 and March 2022.

The news comes as NPR reported yesterday that it obtained an original picture of a rocket that exploded on a launch pad inside Iran by a spy US-made satellite.

Aerospace experts later determined the picture was shot using the USA 224, one of the US' most prized intelligence assets.

Former US President Donald Trump published a tweet on August 30, 2019, of the picture, possibly in a move to taunt Iran by suggesting that the IRGC's technology does not come anywhere as near as the US'.