Iran has introduced a new state-of-the-art missile that can out manoeuvre Western defences and is superior to anything the US has, reports bne IntelliNews’ military analyst Patricia Marins.

“Today, Iran deployed Fattah-2 missiles, which are sophisticated Hypersonic Glide Vehicles (HGVs),” says Marins. “The footage reveals the projectile’s unique capability to alter its trajectory by igniting a second-stage motor upon re-entry into the atmosphere. This level of missile technology is currently not operational in any Western nation. Although Iran's HGV arsenal may be limited in numbers, it showcases an incredibly advanced aerospace industry, a remarkable feat for a country under decades of crippling sanctions.”

“It’s manoeuvrability makes it virtually immune to modern air defences and air-to-air missiles. This breakthrough is the culmination of a dedicated, four-decade-long effort by Iran to achieve military and technological sovereignty,” Marins adds.

Marins, Iran used the Fattah-2 missile in recent strikes on Israel, where retaliatory attacks caused damage and casualties in Tel Aviv and surrounding areas following the killing of Iran’s leader.

The Fattah-2 is a hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV) that can manoeuvre during flight, including altering its trajectory by igniting a second-stage motor upon re-entry into the atmosphere. “This level of missile technology is currently not operational in any Western nation,” Marins said.

The missile can reportedly reach speeds of Mach 14, or around 18,000 km/h, while maintaining a high degree of precision. Its manoeuvrability makes it “virtually immune to modern air defences and air-to-air missiles”, highlighting a capability that could complicate existing missile defence systems deployed by the US and its allies.

Although Iran’s stock of such weapons is believed to be limited, their use points to what Marins described as “an incredibly advanced aerospace industry”, developed despite decades of sanctions. The system is the result of a “four-decade-long effort by Iran to achieve military and technological sovereignty”, she added.

It remains an open question as to if Iran has benefited from its membership of the informal  CRINK (China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea) alliance. Both China and Russia have developed hypersonic missiles, whereas the US only has one and that is still in development. Europe has no hypersonic missile development programmes. What there is is still on the drawing board, according to military experts.

Alongside advances in missile technology, Iran has upgraded its missile and drone technology in general since last year’s short 12-day war with Israel. It is demonstrating new resilience in its air defence network, particularly through the use of mobile systems that have also proven more difficult to suppress than last year.

Despite US and Israeli strikes degrading an estimated 60–80% of Iran’s radar installations and higher-end missile batteries, mobile platforms such as the Khordad-15 and Khordad-3 systems remain operational. These rely on passive electro-optical and infrared sensors rather than radar, allowing them to avoid detection by anti-radiation missiles.

The systems have been credited with downing 11 US MQ-9 Reaper drones in 17 days, each costing about $30mn, amounting to roughly $330mn in losses. Air and Space Forces Magazine said the losses represent about 10% of the active MQ-9 fleet, with CBS News and TRT World corroborating the figures.

Iran claims to have downed 104 US and Israeli drones overall, including smaller platforms, underlining the growing effectiveness of its layered and mobile air defence strategy even as fixed infrastructure has been heavily targeted.