Iran announces a hypersonic ballistic missile with a speed of up to 16,000 km/h, which is superior to Russia's Tsirkon and Kinzhal

Brigadier General Amir-Ali Hajizadeh, commander of Iran's Air and Space Forces, has announced a hypersonic ballistic missile. He was quoted by Iranian media.

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The military chief said the hypersonic missile has passed all tests and will be unveiled soon. It will be able to maneuver in and out of the atmosphere. The missile will have a maximum speed of 12-13 Mach (14,700-16,000 km/h).

Speaking of speed, the new Iranian weapon is superior to the Russian Tsirkon and Kinzhal. According to the Russian military, these missiles can reach speeds of up to 12 Mach (14,700 km/h) and 8 Mach (9,800 km/h) respectively.

Amir-Ali Hajizadeh made the statement a few days after the test launch of the Khorramshahr-4 ballistic missile. It has a 1,500kg warhead and a range of up to 2,000km.

After the Khorramshahr-4 launch last week, the US said Iran's missile programme posed "a serious threat". Iran, on the other hand, says the missile programme is solely aimed at the country's defence.

Source: IRNA