Tehran: Amidst US president Donald Trump’s claim that Iran’s military capabilities have been destroyed, the country launched a series of advanced missiles on Sunday, raising doubts about the outcome of the war so far.
Among the missiles fired was one named Sejjil. Thas was used for the first time since the war began on February 28, Iranian news outlet PressTV reported.
An indigenously designed and developed two-stage ballistic missile powered by solid propellant, the Sejjil is also known by other names, including the Sajjil, Ashoura, and Ashura missile.
Defence experts say that Iran’s Sejjil-2 is a two-stage, solid-fuel medium-range ballistic missile with an estimated range of about 2,000 kilometres and a payload capacity of roughly 700 kilograms.
Because of its high-altitude manoeuvring ability, it has been nicknamed the “dancing missile”, a reference to its capability to evade missile defence systems such as the Iron Dome.
The Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) says that the missile is around 18 metres long, has a diameter of about 1.25 metres, and weighs roughly 23,600 kilograms.
Its solid-fuel design offers a strategic advantage, allowing it to be prepared and launched more quickly than older liquid-fuel systems like the Shahab series.
While work on designing the Sejjil missile began in the early 1990s, the first test launch took place in 2008, the CSIS says. The missile then travelled around 800 kilometres. A second launch was carried out in May 2009 to evaluate improved guidance and navigation systems.
Since 209, four additional flight tests have been conducted. During the sixth test, the missile reportedly travelled about 1,900 kilometres into the Indian Ocean, as reported by NDTV.
The missile was launched for the first time even as the war entered its 16th day. It is not known how many of these missiles Iran possesses. However, if these ‘dancing missiles’ do possess the capability to evade air defence systems, then there is cause for concern for countries in the Gulf that have been targeted by Iran.
