25 May 2023

Iran unveils Khorramshahr-4 ballistic missile

by Jeremy Binnie

A Khorramshahr-4 is test-launched on an unspecified date. (Iranian Defence Ministry/Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

The Iranian military unveiled what was presented as a new, more accurate variant of the Khorramshahr, its most powerful ballistic missile, on 25 May.

Called the Khorramshahr-4 (Kheibar), the missile was displayed at an event attended by Defence Minister Amir Mohammad Reza Ashtiani and shown being launched from the missile testing facility in Semnan Province in a video and images.

The Iranian media reported that the new variant has a more advanced engine that uses hypergolic fuel, giving it a range of 2,000 km with a 1,500 kg warhead. Unlike other types of fuel/oxidiser combinations, the new propellant can be kept in tanks for years, shortening the preparation time for a launch to 12 minutes, making it a tactical weapon, it was claimed.

The new propellant also requires smaller tanks, reducing the Khorramshahr's motor section to about 13 m with the warhead adding about 4 m to the missile's length, it was reported. The airframe is also made of a stronger composite material.

The other major improvement to the Khorramshahr-4 was identified as its mid-phase navigation system that enables it to correct its course when outside the Earth's atmosphere. This means it is not reliant on terminal guidance that can be disrupted by electronic warfare systems.

The Iranian military unveiled what was presented as a new, more accurate variant of the Khorramshahr...

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