09/22/2011

By: Reza Kahlili

Iranian Armed Forces displayed the most modern home-made ballistic missiles during military parades here in Tehran on Thursday.

According to Fars News Agency, the mouthpiece of the revolutionary guards of Iran, Sejjil missiles, considered as the third generation of Iran-made long-range missiles, were displayed during the parades at the mausoleum of the Founder of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Khomeini, in Southern Tehran.

Iran successfully tested second generation of Sejjil missiles and brought it into mass production last year.

The solid-fuel, two-stage Sejjil missile with two engines, is capable of reaching a very high altitude and therefore has a longer range than that of the Shahab 3 model.

The missile has boosted the Islamic republic of Iran’s defense capabilities.

Various units of the Islamic Republic Army, Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), Basij (volunteer) forces and the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Law Enforcement Police attended the military parades to commemorate the start of the Week of Sacred Defense.

During the parades Shahab 1, 2 and 3, Qadr, Sahab and Zelzal missiles were also displayed.

Note: The significance of a solid fuel missile is that it takes less time to launch and harder to detect and destroy prior to a launch. The test of the new Sejjil missile with two engines are signs of Iran’s progress toward capabilities of having intercontinental ballistic missile. The Sejill missile is capable of carrying a nuclear warhead and according to a United Nations panel of experts, Iran is the only country to have developed a missile with Sejil’s capability, in terms of range and payload, without first having developed a nuclear weapon.

The latest IAEA report indicates that Iran now has enough enriched uranium for six nuclear bombs!