Vahidi said Sejil-2, with a reported range of 2,500 kilometers, could
penetrate Israeli and U.S. missile defense systems. He said the missile has
been upgraded by Iran's state-owned defense industry during 2009.
"It is impossible to destroy it by missile interceptors," Vahidi said.
The United States has expressed concern over Iran's Sejil program. But
the Defense Department said the latest launch did not break any ground.
"I'm not going to get into the particulars of what our intelligence
shows other than to say I don't think there was anything here that was
particularly different than what we've seen in the past," Pentagon spokesman
Geoff Morrell said.
Officials said Sejil-2 marked an enhanced variant of the heritage
Sejil-1. They said two-stage Sejil-2 contained advanced navigation and
guidance systems to improve accuracy and maneuverability.
During 2009, Israel and the United States conducted a series of
exercises and simulations in an effort to plan for Iranian missile attacks.
The latest exercise, termed Juniper Cobra and which took place in November,
was said to have envisioned an attack by Iran's Sejil. Sejil was believed to
have been designed to contain a nuclear warhead.
Officials said Sejil-2 could also be launched faster than its
predecessor. They did not elaborate.
