According to Iranian media, Iran conducted its first aerial attack using the newly unveiled hypersonic missile, Fattah-2, during airstrikes against Israel. This missile is considered non-interceptable. The attack, which was launched on April 13, 2024, targeted multiple Israeli airbases and marked Iran’s first combat deployment of this advanced missile technology.
The Fattah-2 Iranian-made hypersonic missile was unveiled in November 2023.
According to information published on April 15, 2024, by “Press TV”, an Iranian state-owned news network, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) successfully deployed the Fattah-2 missile, striking key Israeli military infrastructure. ABC News has confirmed from a senior US official that the strike impacted two airbases in Israel, with Nevatim Air Base suffering considerable damage. Infrastructure hit included a C-130 military transport plane, a runway, and storage facilities. Meanwhile, another undisclosed airbase in the Negev Desert also came under fire, though it reportedly sustained less significant damage.
Hypersonic weapons, capable of traveling faster than Mach 5 — five times the speed of sound — present significant challenges to missile defense systems due to their high speed and agility. Iran has reported that its Fattah missile can achieve speeds up to Mach 15, or fifteen times the speed of sound.
Iran’s development of hypersonic missile technology, particularly the Fattah series, marks a significant advancement in its military capabilities and has implications for regional security dynamics. The unveiling of the Fattah-1 hypersonic missile in June 2023, as reported by various sources, represented a pivotal moment in Iran’s defense technology efforts.