Sedjil (air-to-air missile)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Sedjil | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | Air-to-air missile[1] |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1988 April 4 |
| Used by | Iran[2][3][4] |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | Self-Sufficiency Jihad Organization Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force[1][5] |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 500 kg |
| Length | 5 m |
| Diameter | 40 cm |
| Propellant | Solid fuel |
Operational range | 90 km |
| Maximum speed | mach 4–5 |
Guidance system | guided semi-active radar |
Sedjil (Persian: سجیل) is an Iranian semi-active radar homing air-to-air missile.[1][6][7] It is made by the Self-Sufficiency Jihad Organization of the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force and is actually a modified version of the surface-to-air MIM-23 HAWK. The Sedjil weighs approximately 500 kg, its length is 5 meters and its diameter is about 40 cm. The effective range of the missile is approximately 90 km. Its speed is estimated to be about mach 4–5.[1]
After six years of combat in the Iran–Iraq War, the prolonged conflict led to a shortage of weapons for Iranian forces, and they felt the need to procure additional weapons systems.[1] The Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force, employed an experienced test pilot, Fereidoun Ali-Mazandarani, as the experimental pilot in November 1986, and succeeded in synchronizing the mentioned missile with the AN/AWG-9 radar of the F-14 Tomcat launch aircraft. Experts in the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force also presented a related plan to convert the HAWK missiles. This plan was presented for the first time on 12 August 1986 with the name of "Project-Sedjil" by Ata'Allah-Bazargan (a high-ranking military pilot) and Fereidun Ali Mazandarani. It was submitted to the Iranian Air Force.[8] The missile[9][10][11] was finally manufactured on 4 April 1988.[12]
