FATTAH 2

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Context: 

Iran fired more than 180 ballistic missiles, including its hypersonic medium-range Fattah-2, in a major offensive aimed at overwhelming Israel’s air defences.

About Fattah 2

Feature	Details
Type	Hypersonic ballistic missile- (A hypersonic weapon is merely something that travels at Mach-5 or faster, or at least five times the speed of sound.)
Propellant	Liquid-fuel rocket propellant
Engine Capability	Ability to adjust thrust force
Range	1500 kilometres only slightly more than its predecessor, the Fattah-I.
Velocity	Mach 15 (15 times the speed of sound or 18,522 km/h)
Explosive Payload	Can carry 200 kilograms of explosives
Trajectory	Capable of significant trajectory changes during flight to evade defence systems
Atmospheric and Space Operation	Can accelerate outside Earth's atmosphere, with aerodynamic control surfaces allowing steering within the atmosphere

About Fattah-1 Missile

Fattah-1 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. 

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

Hypersonic missiles

A hypersonic weapon is a weapon capable of travelling at hypersonic speed, defined as between 5 and 25 times the speed of sound or about 1 to 5 miles per second (1.6 to 8.0 km/s)

There are multiple types of hypersonic weapon:

• Hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV): Missile warheads which maneuver and glide through the atmosphere at high speeds after an initial ballistic launch phase.
• Hypersonic cruise missile: Cruise missiles which use air-breathing engines such as scramjets to reach high speeds 
• Hypersonic aircraft using air-breathing engines such as scramjets to reach high speeds.
• Guns which fire cannon-launched guided projectiles. These may be developments of traditional artillery or novel technologies such as railguns.

Other types of weapons, such as traditional ballistic missiles, may achieve hypersonic speeds but are not classified as hypersonic weapons due to lacking the use of aerodynamic lift to allow their reentry vehicles to maneuver under guided flight within the atmosphere.

READ IN DETAIL

Fattah Missile 

Source:

https://www.indiatoday.in/world/story/iran-fattah-2-hypersonic-missile-features-all-you-need-to-know-israel-air-defence-attack-2609892-2024-10-02

PRACTICE QUESTION Q.Discuss the potential applications of Hypersonic glide vehicles (HGVs) in military sectors, along with the challenges and ethical considerations associated with their development and deployment. (250 words)