Iran on Sunday unveiled a new missile with a composite engine as well as the new generation of engines for propelling missiles and satellite carriers.
In a ceremony in Tehran, IRGC Commander Major General Hossein Salami and Commander of the IRGC Aerospace Force Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh inaugurated an assembly line producing “Ra’ad-500” (thunder-500) missiles equipped with an advanced composite engine dubbed “Zohair”.
#Iran has unveiled a short-range ballistic #missile that is powered by a "new generation" of engines designed to put satellites into orbit. https://t.co/bsEnjBOSah#Satellite pic.twitter.com/IGB49zTOZv
— Press TV (@PressTV) February 9, 2020
The new Iranian missile enjoys an engine made up of carbon fiber composites, which enable the engine’s shield to withstand pressures up to 100 bars and temperatures as high as 3,000 degrees Celsius and also reduce the total weight of the missile dramatically.
Thanks to the composite materials, the weight of Ra’ad-500 has been reduced by half in comparison with the Fateh-110 missile that has a metal body, but its range has been extended by 200 kilometers.
The employment of two technologies, namely the composite engine shield and the moving nozzle, have allowed for the use of solid propellant engines outside the atmosphere.
The new achievement enables Iran to manufacture light satellite carriers with solid propellant, produce surface-to-surface missiles with a small radar cross-sectional area, enhance the maneuverability of missiles to defeat missile defense systems, and reduce the costs and complexity of production of missiles.
