Why is it in the news?
The ongoing confrontation between the US–Israel bloc and Iran has highlighted advanced missile, drone and air defence technologies.
The conflict represents one of the most technologically complex missile and drone battles in modern warfare.
Category: Defence
Important Points:
● Iran uses Shahed-136 and Shahed-131 loitering drones in swarm attacks to overwhelm air defence systems.
● Shahab-3 is a medium-range ballistic missile with a range of around 2,000 km.
● Iran’s Fattah missile is claimed to be a hypersonic missile capable of speeds up to Mach 15.
● Khorramshahr missile is a powerful ballistic missile used in recent barrages.
● Bavar-373 is Iran’s long-range air defence system designed to intercept aircraft and missiles.
● The United States uses B-2 Spirit stealth bombers capable of penetrating heavily defended airspace.
● GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator is a bunker-buster bomb used to destroy deeply buried facilities.
● THAAD is an advanced anti-ballistic missile defence system using hit-to-kill kinetic interception.
● Israel’s Iron Dome system intercepts short-range rockets, artillery shells and drones.
● Israel also operates the fifth-generation stealth fighter F-35I “Adir”.