Iran's Sejjil Missile Weapon Launches: Sophistication of the "Divine Bird" Ballistic Missile

Iran has launched the Sejjil ballistic missile for the first time in a retaliatory strike against American and Israeli military actions targeting the country.

The Sejjil deployment was part of the 54th wave of attacks in “Operation True Promise” against Israeli and American assets across the Middle East.

The Iranian Revolutionary Guards announced the use of the missile, commonly referred to as the “Divine Bird Weapon,” in a statement cited by Mehr news agency.

The 54th wave of strikes targeted Israeli air command centres, military manufacturing facilities, and Israeli forces.

Sejjil is a medium-range ballistic missile with a range of up to 2,000 kilometres. The missile measures approximately 18 metres in length with a diameter of 1.25 metres, weighs 23 tons, and carries a warhead capacity of between 500 and 1,000 kilograms.

The weapon has been nicknamed the “dancing missile” due to its ability to manoeuvre agilely at altitude to evade air defence systems such as the Iron Dome. With solid-fuel propulsion, the Sejjil can be prepared and launched far more rapidly than the Shahab missile, which relies on liquid-fuel systems.

According to the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), Iran began developing the Sejjil in the early 1990s and conducted its first test launch in 2008, when it achieved a range of 800 kilometres. By May 2009, Iran had reportedly enhanced the missile’s navigation capabilities.

Since 2009, Iran has conducted four test flights of the Sejjil. During the most recent test, the missile reportedly achieved a range of 1,900 kilometres across the Indian Ocean.

The Sejjil is a two-stage missile system, utilising two rocket stages during launch and flight to target. Analysts believe Sejjil technology could potentially be developed into an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).