A first, to reinforce an already well supplied military arsenal. Iran announces that it has manufactured a hypersonic ballistic missile, capable of moving at speeds greater than 6,000 kilometers per hour.
“This hypersonic ballistic missile can counter air defense shields. It will be able to pass through all missile defense systems and I don’t think there will be a technology to deal with it for decades,” Revolutionary Guards Aerospace Force Commander General Amirali Hajizadeh said on Thursday.
Moscow at the forefront of this type of missile
Several countries are seeking to develop hypersonic missiles. Russia, North Korea and the United States announced in 2021 that they had carried out tests, rekindling fears of a new arms race.
Russia has taken a step ahead in this area, with several types of these missiles. Moscow announced in August that it had deployed planes equipped with state-of-the-art hypersonic missiles to Kaliningrad, a Russian enclave surrounded by NATO countries where the conflict in Ukraine has exacerbated tensions.
In March, in the first weeks of the invasion of Ukraine, Russia announced that it had used “Kinjal” hypersonic missiles, which was probably a first.