Iran's allegedly AI-guided 'Abu Mahdi' cruise missile is officially live

Table Of Content

• US official confirms Iran has launched drones toward Israel
• Iran launches cruise missiles in addition to drones, Israeli media says
• Iranian state media says retaliatory strikes launched at Israel
• The Iran-Israel Air Conflict, One Week In
• Iran’s allegedly AI-guided ‘Abu Mahdi’ cruise missile is officially live

The tests occurred during a war game conducted by Iran’s conventional navy—not involving the naval wing of the Revolutionary Guards—in the northern Indian Ocean. State media said that the medium-range missile could travel at least 280 kilometers (170 miles). “At that range, it makes it progressively harder for the U.S. to put a large ship in or near the Gulf,” Cordesman said. During the event, Rear Admiral Tangsiri emphasized that the new missile’s primary objective was to prevent the enemy from approaching the Iranian coast. From time to time Iran announces the test firing, production and commissioning of new military equipment that cannot be independently verified.

The Iran-Israel Air Conflict, One Week In - CSIS Center for Strategic and International Studies

The Iran-Israel Air Conflict, One Week In.

Posted: Fri, 19 Apr 2024 20:49:38 GMT [source]

US official confirms Iran has launched drones toward Israel

Showing a high degree of precision, the attacks temporarily halted production at the Abqaiq oil refinery, which supplies 5-7% of the world’s daily petroleum. Defense system intended to prevent attacks from aircraft, helicopters, bombers, cruise missiles, UAVs and stand-off weapons. DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran’s navy on Sunday added domestically produced sophisticated cruise missiles to its arsenal, state TV reported. Last year, after the attack by Hamas in October, Israel asked the United States for more precision-guided munitions for its combat aircraft and more interceptors for its Iron Dome missile defense system.

A comparison between Iran's advanced missile system and Hamas's rockets - The Jerusalem Post

A comparison between Iran's advanced missile system and Hamas's rockets.

Posted: Wed, 17 Apr 2024 10:57:00 GMT [source]

Iran launches cruise missiles in addition to drones, Israeli media says

It has a range of more than 1,200 miles — plenty to reach Israel from Iran. Hamas also has Fajr-5 rockets from Iran and a similar, locally made version of the Fajr-5, both with a range of about 50 miles. Iranian missile and drone attacks were launched at Israel from positions in Iran, Lebanon, Iraq and Yemen, according to the Iranian state-run Tasnim News Agency. In a statement, the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah said it targeted Israeli barracks in the Golan Heights, an Israeli-occupied strip along the border with Syria, with a barrage of rockets after midnight local time.

Iranian state media says retaliatory strikes launched at Israel

Iranian state media confirmed that retaliatory drone strikes have been launched against targets in Israel. Iranian strikes have hit Irbil in northern Iraq and the Arad region in southern Israel. An Israeli air base was also hit, causing “minor damage to infrastructure,” according to the IDF. Last month, a container ship owned by an Israeli billionaire came under attack from a suspected Iranian drone in the Indian Ocean, as Israel wages war on Iran-backed Hamas in the Gaza Strip. He said the Nasi has a range of 100 kilometers (62 miles) and can be installed on warships.

The TV said both Talaeieh and Nasir cruise missiles have arrived at a naval base near the Indian Ocean in the southern Iranian port of Konarak, some 1,400 kilometers (850 miles) southeast of the capital, Tehran. In recent decades, Iran has largely been focused on deterrence, long-range missiles, drones and air defenses. It has one of the largest ballistic missile and drone arsenals across the Middle East, according to weapons experts, and is also becoming a major arms exporter globally.

Iran’s navy adds sophisticated cruise missiles to its armory

Being artificial intelligence controlled, the “Abu Mahdi” missile is touted to provide pinpoint accuracy while delivering “devastating force.” It can also allegedly avoid marine terrain and penetrate an opponent’s air defense systems. Like conventional cruise missiles, “Abu Mahdi” can travel at relatively low altitudes to evade radar and change its direction and height during flight at will. Iran launched cruise missiles at Israel, in addition to dozens of drones, according to Israeli media reports. In September 2019, Iran launched coordinated attacks with unmanned aerial vehicles and cruise missiles against Saudi Arabia’s oil faciitlies at Abqaiq and Khurais.

Iran's attack is "likely to unfold over a number of hours," US security official says

The Nasr is based on the Chinese C-704, which has a maximum range of 40 kilometers (25 miles). Iran’s recent missile announcement is believed to be a response to the actions of the United States in the region. As The Jerusalem Post points out, it remains unclear how these missiles will perform in combat as they have never been tested. Additionally, the ranges and capabilities that Iran claims these missiles possess can not be verified. The proclaimed use of AI for guidance in the new command and control systems and radar evasion is also not proven. The president was also briefed about the situation in the Middle East earlier by national security adviser Jake Sullivan and principal deputy national security adviser Jon Finer, the White House said.

But government photographs appeared to show the Nasr anti-ship cruise missile being fired from both a truck and a ship, according to Mike Elleman, an expert at the International Institute for Strategic Studies. The “Abu Mahdi” missile’s warhead is enormous, capable of destroying various vessels, frigates, and destroyers by hitting them from multiple angles, explains the Tehran Times. This new missile has a robust integrated navigation system and a powerful motor, allowing it to be launched from deep within Iranian territory to target mobile naval units.

Iran’s allegedly AI-guided ‘Abu Mahdi’ cruise missile is officially live

Of 30 Iranian cruise missiles launched, zero entered Israeli airspace, 25 were downed by the Israeli Air Force outside of Israeli airspace, and 120 ballistic missiles were downed by Israeli aerial defense systems, the IDF said. On June 18, 2020, Iran tested both short-range and medium-range cruise missiles that it claimed could accurately hit ships across the width of the Persian Gulf. Photos of the Iranian navy firing missiles from both land and sea were released by the official IRNA news agency.

The growing threat of anti-ship cruise missiles has forced it to rethink military strategy. “At what point does a U.S. aircraft carrier becomes a hole in the water in which you pour missiles? ” said Anthony Cordesman, an expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Shown to the world during a handing-over ceremony, the “Abu Mahdi” cruise missiles were officially presented to the Iranian Navy and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The missile has an alleged range of around 621 miles (1,000 km) and has been developed domestically to strengthen Iranian Naval and Army capabilities. Iron Dome is an Israeli mobile missile defense system designed to intercept short-range rockets and artillery.