Sejjil ballistic missile is one of the fastest ballistic missiles in Iran.
The construction and entry of the Sejjil missile into the operational capability of the Iranian
Armed Forces show Iran's interest in upgrading its defense capabilities.
In a 2017 report entitled "Why should the world be afraid of Iranian missiles?",
National Interest described the Sejjil missile as a turning point in Iran's missile industry.
Prior to the unveiling of the Khorramshahr missile,
the Sejjil was considered the most advanced missile made in Iran
because it was capable of carrying a 650 kg warhead using solid fuel.
Overview
Sejil is the first long-range missile of the solid-fuel ballistic missile generation.
According to military experts, Iran's acquisition of technology to build such a missile means
that Iran is at the edge of technology in the field of ballistic missile manufacturing.
Sejjil-2 missile is optimized Sejjil-1 missile, which in comparison, has a shorter launch time
and therefore more operational speed, and at the same time has an optimized warhead.
Military experts consider the Sejjil ballistic missile to be one of Iran's first options
to respond to any Israeli aggression. This issue has become more and more in
the spotlight because the distance between Iran and occupied Palestine is only 1300 km
and this missile can reach Tel Aviv in only 7 to 10 minutes.
A Zionist military expert believes that if Iran launches Sejjil missiles at occupied Palestine,
it will be very difficult for Israeli anti-missile systems to intercept them
due to the use of solid fuel and very high speed.
Israel currently has ballistic missile defense systems, the most recent of which is the Arrow 3.
In stating the characteristics of the Sejjil missile, it is mentioned
that this missile is able to cross the barrier of these systems as well.
Technical features
The Sejjil surface-to-surface ballistic missile consists of three parts:
block 1, block 2, and warhead.
Weighing at more than 23 tons, the missile has a two-stage solid-fuel engine that accelerates to
4,300 meters per second, capable of destroying designated targets with great precision.
The dive speed (entering the atmosphere) of this missile is about Mach 13 (Mach 1 = 1224 km / h)
and its final range is 2000 km, and it is one of the most terrifying ballistic missiles in Iran.
However, this range can probably be increased by carrying a lighter warhead.
Sejjil is a two-stage missile with detachable warhead capability,
which weighs 650 kg. The length of the Sejjil missile is about 18 meters
and its diameter is 125 centimeters and it can be launched from different angles.
In general, ballistic missiles are launched from fixed and portable launchers vertically
or angularly (depending on range and function) and exit the Earth's atmosphere.
Military analysts believe that the Sejjil missile is a more advanced model of the Shahab 3 missile.
Shahab rocket series uses liquid fuel,
but today it is mostly used to launch satellite-carrying rockets.
However, some countries still use liquid fuels in the production of
ballistic missiles. But in "solid fuels" and "composite solid fuels",
the fuel and oxidant are mixed and the fuel is crystallized.
Then the combustion process continues, and they are one of the most common fuels today.
One of the most important advantages of using
solid fuels over liquid fuels is the durability of these fuels.
Liquid fuels have a very short shelf life and must be replaced after a while,
but solid fuels have a shelf life of several years, so these missiles are easier to maintain.
Operational features
One of the most important factors in the design of missiles is the speed of preparation of the
missile before firing. The rocket designers built the Sejjil following this feature.
The Sejjil missile, as the first long-range solid-fuel missile in Iran, can be launched
in a few minutes, and after firing, its launcher quickly leaves the firing point,
which reduces the possibility of destroying the missile before launch. At the same time,
due to the high acceleration of this missile, the possibility of its destruction is very low.
The mechanism of action of Sajjil is that after the rocket leaves the Earth's atmosphere,
it takes a horizontal position and starts moving outside the atmosphere,
and as soon as it reaches the top of the target, the rocket re-enters
the atmosphere and using gravity, locks on the target and dives at a very high speed.
The rate of return of the Sejjil ballistic missile
to the Earth's atmosphere and the fall on the target is about Mach 13, which makes
the missile destruction "impossible" for all existing air defense systems.
The missile's new navigation system and highly sophisticated sensors have increased its accuracy
and made it very difficult for the world's advanced radars to track the record.
Sejjil is designed in such a way that the American Patriot anti-aircraft
and anti-missile system and the Israeli anti-missile system Arrow 3 cannot destroy it.
Anti-radar coatings on the Sejjil missile have been made by the efforts of defense experts and
the Iranian academic sector. Three factors, including specific color, body material,
and the use of some special electronic systems, are the elements of radar evasion of this missile.
In each sector, Iranian experts have been able to achieve the highest technology
and have taken advantage of initiatives.
In Sejjil-2 missile, the missile warhead has been changed and guiding blocks have been added to it.
With the use of these blocks, the accuracy of the Sejjil-2 missile
has increased tremendously and reached below 50 meters.
The Sejjil-2 missile is equipped with a new navigation system and precise
and advanced sensors compared to the Sejjil-1. How to steer the Sejjil-2
missile is probably a combination of an inertial guidance system and GPS.