May 20, 2009 (Persian calendar 1388/2/30)
The Sejil missile (Arabic: سجیل, meaning "Baked Clay" (Surat al-Fil of the Quran)), is a family of Iranian solid-fueled ballistic missiles.
The Sejil are replacements for the Shahab شهاب liquid-fueled ballistic missiles. According to US Pentagon sources, the missile profile of the Sejil closely matches those of the Ashura (Ghadr-110) and the Samen.
The missile utilizes composite solid-propellant fuel and unlike the Shahab-3 medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM), which is launched only vertically, the Sejil could be launched at a variable angle.
Political commentator Kiyan Nader Mokhtari كيان نادر مختاري elaborated more about the features of the new missile. "The engine and various fuels have been tested and the platform is now highly reliable. The latest tests to be carried out are mainly to do with the variety of warheads that it has to carry," he said. "Some of the warheads obviously have been designed to be able to evade anti-ballistic missile defenses of the enemy in actual battle conditions," he added.
Variants:
- Sejil-1: The Sejil is a two-stage, solid-propellant, surface-to-surface missile (SSM) produced by Iran with a reported 2,400 km (1,500 mi) range. A successful test launch took place on November 13, 2008. Its range, if confirmed, would allow it to strike targets as far away as Israel and southeastern Europe, though Iran asserts that it is intended for purely defensive purposes.
- Sejil-2: Sejil-2 is an upgraded version of the Sejil. The Sejil-2 two-stage solid-fuel missile has a 2,000 km range and was first test-fired on May 20, 2009. The Sejil-2 surface-to-surface medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM) was first tested eight months prior to the actual test launch, which took place in the central Iranian province of Semnan استان سمنان. Improvements include better navigation system, better targeting system, more payload, longer range, faster lift-off, longer storage time, quicker launch, and lower detection possibility. On December 16, 2009,an upgraded version of Sejil-2 was test fired. This new version of the Sejil-2 is faster during the powered flight portion of its trajectory and also during the re-entry phase.It is also harder to detect for anti-missile systems, as it is covered with anti-radar material.The new highly maneuverable missile is also more efficient as it requires less time for pre-launch preparations.
Specifications:
Fuel: Solid
Stages: Two
Weight: 23.5 metric Ton
Length: 18 meters (59 foot, 19.7 Yard)
Diameter: (1.25 to 1.50) meters, (49.2 to 59) inches
Range: 2,000 Km (1243 Mile)
Warhead: 650 Kg (1433 lb)
Final stage speed: Mach 13 (4,300 m/s, 15,480 Km/h, 9,619 Mile/h)
Guidance system: Inertial - GPS
