“This newly-developed ballistic missile will pass through all missile defense systems. It is not believed that such a technology can be developed for decades to counter it. This missile targets the enemy's anti-missile systems and is a giant leap in the field of missile technology,” Hajizadeh said.

Hypersonic weapons are missiles and projectiles which travel at between 5 and 25 times the speed of sound – about 1 to 5 miles per second (1.6 to 8.0 km/s).

Below such speeds, weapons would be characterized as subsonic or supersonic, while above such speeds, the molecules of the atmosphere disassociate into a plasma which makes control and communication difficult. Directed-energy weapons such as lasers may operate at higher speeds but are considered a different class of weaponry.

Currently, China, India, Russia, and the US have developed fully functional hypersonic weapons in the form of glide vehicles, ballistic missiles, rail guns, and air-breathing cruise missiles having their own respective independent programs and have demonstrated sustained hypersonic combustions. (ILKHA)