"The special paint [coating], the substance used in the shell and some
special electronic devices used in the missile are the main three factors
that provide a radar-evading capability to the missile," Brig. Gen. Mehdi
Farahi, director of the Defense Ministry's Aerospace Organization, said.
In a statement to the semi-official Fars News Agency on Dec. 19, Farahi
provided some details of Sejil-2, launched in a test three days earlier.
Farahi said Sejil-2, with a reported range of 2,500 kilometers, marked an
important
element in Iran's deterrence posture.
"The optimized missile is one of the important achievements of the
Islamic republic of Iran's defense experts, which plays a significant role
in increasing the deterrence power of the Iranian armed forces," Farahi
said.
For his part, Farahi said Sejil-2 was designed to penetrate missile
defense systems deployed by Israel and the United States. He said the
missile was coated
with a substance that prevented radar lock-on required for interception.
Sejil-2 was described as a two-stage missile with two engines. Officials
said the missile featured a larger range and higher altitude than the
liquid-fueled Shihab-3, which could travel about 2,000 kilometers.
"Iran successfully tested the second generation of Sejil missiles and
brought them into mass production earlier this year," the Fars News Agency
reported. "Sejil missiles are considered third-generation Iranian-made
long-range missiles."
