Kheibar Shekan
Kheibar Shekan or Kheibarshekan is an Iranian solid-fuel medium-range ballistic missile operated by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Aerospace Force. It is of the third generation of IRGC missiles and was unveiled in 2022 at a ceremony attended by Iranian military commanders on the 43rd anniversary of the Iranian Revolution. The missile is propelled by solid fuel and its warhead is maneuverable in terminal phase with the objective of evading air defenses. It has the ability to hit targets within a range of 1,450 kilometers.
Name
"Kheibar" alludes to a fort near Medina, Khaybar, which was populated by Jews and was in 628 A.D. attacked and conquered by Muslims led by Muhammad. "Shekan" means "destroyer" or "breaker".Specifications
The Kheibar Shekan missile uses solid fuel and weighs less than similar missiles. The Kheibar Shekan is one of the third generation of long-range missiles of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which uses solid fuel and can conduct terminal phase maneuvers.Dimensions
The Kheibar Shekan missile is 11.4 meters long, 76 centimeters in diameter, and weighs 6.3 tons with a 550-kilogram warhead. Its warhead is a fast and intense explosive type and its body is made of composite materials same as Raad-500 missile.One of the advantages of the Kheibar Shekan missile is its smaller dimensions compared to similar models; therefore, more of them can be stored in the limited space of underground missile bases.
Warhead
The relatively large dimensions of the Kheibar Shekan's re-entry vehicle increase the maneuverability after re-entering the atmosphere and allow for more sophisticated and faster maneuvers to attempt to defeat missile defenses. The velocity of the warhead at the moment of impact is reportedly estimated at Mach 2-3.The reentry vehicle's configuration is of the tri-conic type, which maintains the warhead's stability during re-entry. According to Iranian state media sources, by making engineering compromises and increasing the drag force, the missile has achieved more maneuverability.