Kheybar Shekan
Why in News?
Recently Kheybar Shekan making headlines due to its extensive use in high-stakes regional combat and its ability to bypass advanced US military infrastructures across the Gulf.
Specifications & Technical Capabilities
- Classification: It is a third-generation, domestic surface-to-surface medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM) belonging to the fourth generation of the Khorramshahr missile family.
- Etymology: The name Kheybar Shekan translates to "Castle Breaker" or "Breaker of Khaybar" in Arabic, referencing a historic 7th-century battle.
- Range: It possesses an operational strike range of approximately 1,450 kilometers (900 miles), placing Israel, the Gulf nations, and regional US bases well within reach from deep inside western Iran.
- Propulsion & Fuel: It runs on advanced solid fuel, allowing it to be kept indefinitely in a combat-ready state.
- Rapid Deployment: Unlike liquid-fuelled variants, it can be prepared and launched from a mobile platform in less than 15 minutes, making the launch sites highly elusive to enemy reconnaissance aircraft.
- Payload & Physical Dimensions: The missile is roughly 4 meters long, has a total weight of 1,500 kg, and transports a high-explosive warhead weighing about 550 to 600 kg.
Key Tactical Features
- Maneuverable Reentry Vehicle (MaRV): The missile is fitted with a specialized guidance warhead that allows it to execute complex, terminal-phase manoeuvres. It zigzags while descending to throw off tracking sensors.
- Stealth-Optimized Aerodynamics: Built with lightweight composite materials, its unique body lacks traditional structural fin ailerons, which significantly reduces its radar cross-section and visibility.
- Near-Hypersonic Terminal Speeds: The missile accelerates drastically as it nears its target, reportedly exceeding Mach 8 inside the earth's atmosphere and making interception extremely difficult.
- Camouflage Mastery: It operates an integrated internal engine built right within its fuel tank, optimizing its compact size so that it can easily be hidden and fired from regular commercial vehicles.
