World News | Israel Unveils First Hypersonic Missile Interceptor

Jerusalem [Israel]June 17 (ANI/TPS): Israel’s Rafael Advanced Defense Systems announced Wednesday that it has developed what it says is the world’s first hypersonic missile interceptor, called SkySonic.

Iran’s state-owned defense contractor’s decision to unveil the project follows last week’s announcement of what Iran claims is its first domestically produced hypersonic missile.

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“We follow developments and threats on the global stage and, as in the past, advance and develop state-of-the-art defense systems,” said Dr. Yuval Steinitz, chairman of Haifa-based Rafael.

SkySonic is in an advanced stage of development and will conduct its first live flight test soon, the company said. Raphael plans to demonstrate the interceptor at next week’s Paris Air Show, and the company said it has informed the Pentagon of its progress.

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Hypersonic missiles travel at least five times the speed of sound, or 1-5 miles per second. They follow complex trajectories and are more maneuverable than ballistic missiles, making them difficult to defend against. Most radar systems cannot even detect hypersonic missiles.

Russia, China and the United States are the only other countries known to be developing hypersonic missiles.

Iran, whose leader has repeatedly called for the destruction of Israel, unveiled the Fatah missile on June 6, which reportedly has a range of 1,400 kilometers (870 miles) and a top speed of Mach 13-15.

“This missile is aimed at the enemy’s anti-missile system and is a major leap forward in the missile field,” said Amir Ali Hajizad, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Aerospace Forces.

The day after Iran’s unveiling, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Grant appeared to address the regime in Tehran.

“I’ve heard our enemies brag about the weapons they’re developing. We have a better response to any such development — whether it’s on land, in the air or at sea, including defensive and offensive means,” he said of Valor. (ANI/TPS)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from a Syndicated News feed, the content body may not have been modified or edited by LatestLY staff)