According to state-run news agency Press TV, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and national navy received a new domestically designed cruise missile named “Abu Mahdi,” unveiled during a ceremony on 25 July.
The Abu Mahdi naval missile was reportedly developed by Iranian military experts at the Aerospace Industries Organization (AIO), a branch of the Iranian Defense Ministry.
The domestically constructed missile has artificial Intelligence (AI) integrated into the weapons software to enhance the missile control systems and flight path. The Abu Mahdi is able to penetrate artificial and natural barriers to reach enemy targets from a variety of directions.
According to Iranian media, the missile has a range of 1,000 km.
The naval missile can be fired from Iranian soil to moving targets at sea or on the ground using its advanced navigation and propulsion system. The IRGC affirmed that the weapons could evade enemy detection, hindering the enemy’s ability to react to the strikes.
It was named after former Iraqi Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, who was assassinated by a drone strike under the administrative order of former US president Donald Trump near Bagdad International Airport, along with IRGC Quds Force General Qassem Soleimani. At the time, the PMU leader was accompanying the deceased and former IRGC commander Qasem Soleimani, who was Washington’s primary target.
The reveal of the cruise missile comes days after the Pentagon approved the deployment of the USS Bataan amphibious readiness group and the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, including 2,500 marines, to the Persian Gulf, in a bid to increase its presence in the strategic waterway.
Earlier this month, the Islamic Republic revealed its Damavand-2 naval vessel, equipped with hypersonic missiles.
The Iranian navy received the Damavand-class frigate, which will be capable of carrying helicopters, missiles, torpedoes, modern guns, and air defense weapons.
In early June, the IRGC aerospace unit unveiled its first hypersonic ballistic missile, the Fattah, which retains an extended range of up to 1,400 kilometers.
US Air Force Gen. Glen D. Van Herck testified in May before the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee, reiterating that “hypersonic weapons are extremely difficult to detect and counter given the weapons’ speed and maneuverability, low flight paths, and unpredictable trajectories.”
Iran, which has one of the most extensive domestic-made missile systems in West Asia, says that its warheads could reach Israeli and US locations in the region. Despite concerns from the US and Europe, Tehran has stated that it will continue to expand its defensive missile program.
Source » thecradle