The Houthis of Yemen have unveiled their hypersonic missile, Palestine-2, that was used in an attack on Tel Aviv, Israel's capital. This surface-to-surface missile has a maximum speed of 19756 km/hr and a range of 2150 km.
This two-stage solid-fuel hypersonic missile was recently integrated into the Yemeni military. Capable of traveling at Mach 16, or 19756 kilometers per hour, it is incredibly challenging for any air defense system in the world to intercept. Additionally, this missile is extremely maneuverable.
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Watch the video of this new missile below
This missile can change its direction mid-course, effectively evading interceptor missiles from any air defense systems. The features it boasts suggest it could pose a danger to Israel, American naval bases in the Middle East, warships, and commercial vessels.
Attack on Israel on September 15th
The Houthis attacked Israel with hypersonic missiles on September 15, 2024. The missiles covered a 2040 km distance in just 11.5 minutes. The world was stunned for a whole day, questioning how the Houthis acquired this technology. It is currently claimed that the Houthis developed this missile themselves.
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Israeli PM Netanyahu Threatens Yemen
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the Houthis would pay a heavy price for this. Initially, it was suspected that the Yemeni Houthis received these powerful ballistic missiles from Iran. However, Iranian authorities denied this, stating no missile or technology was provided to Yemen. Iran possesses the Fateh-1 hypersonic missile with a range of 1400 km that is not capable of such long-distance travel.
Israel Claims Hypersonic Speed for a Short Duration
Meanwhile, Israel stated that no hypersonic ballistic missiles caused any damage to them. All the missiles were ballistic but attained hypersonic speed momentarily. Out of all the incoming missiles, only 20 struck open areas, inflicting no harm.
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Source: aajtak
The issue was that neither the American warships Michael Murphy, Frank E Petersen Jr., nor FS Chevalier Paul in the Red Sea could intercept the missile from Yemen to Israel. Nor could the air defense systems of Israel and Saudi Arabia stop it.
What Are Hypersonic Missiles?
Hypersonic missiles are weapons that travel at speeds of at least Mach 5, or 6100 km/hr. Their speed and ability to change direction make them extremely accurate and powerful, making them almost impossible to track and shoot down.
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Source: aajtak
Can All Missiles Be Hypersonic?
Generally, cruise or ballistic missiles are quite fast, but their fixed direction and travel path make them trackable and shootable. By increasing their speed to 6100 km/hr and adding directional mechanisms, these could become hypersonic as well.
How Many Types of Hypersonic Weapons Are There?
There are mainly two types of hypersonic weapons: glide vehicles and cruise missiles. The world is currently focused on glide vehicles, which are launched with small missiles. After covering a certain distance, the missile detaches, and the glide vehicle strikes the target. These weapons typically have a scramjet engine that uses oxygen from the air to fly faster, providing a certain speed and altitude.
