Hezbollah’s Missile Capabilities: A Detailed Analysis

2024-02-16 01:06:04

Over the course of Tuesday and Wednesday, the Lebanese Hezbollah carried out 15 military operations once morest Israeli army positions along the border between the two countries, resulting in the death of a female soldier and seven injuries, some of them serious, according to Israeli media.

The implementation of these operations coincided with Hezbollah’s introduction of new missiles into the battle, which represented a surprise to Tel Aviv following the destruction by a “Diamond” missile of an Israeli “Merkava” tank at the Al-Baghdadi military site.

On Wednesday, Israeli media said that Hezbollah launched 8 missile launches towards Safad, and fired at least 10 missiles towards Israeli military targets, while Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari said that the Israeli Northern Command base was subjected to missile strikes.

On Tuesday, Hezbollah announced that it had targeted 7 Israeli army sites and gatherings of its soldiers near the southern Lebanese border, which included, according to a series of statements, a gathering of soldiers in the Hunin Castle, another in the Mitat Barracks, a third in the vicinity of the Marj site, spy equipment at the Hadab Yarin site, and a building. As part of the Israeli police in the Kiryat Shmona settlement, and the Ruwaisat Al-Alam site in the Lebanese Shebaa Farms, as well as controlling an Israeli “Sky Lark” march.

For the first time, during the past few days, Hezbollah announced the use of the “Almas” missile, identical to the Israeli “Spike” missile, along with other missiles such as “Burkan,” “Toofan,” and the “Tharallah system,” which carries two “Cornet” missiles.

What are Hezbollah’s missile capabilities?

Hezbollah revealed part of its military arsenal, which it brought into the confrontation for the first time since Hamas’ surprise attack on Israel last October 7, the most prominent of which were:

“Almas” missile

This missile received Israeli attention following it destroyed the Merkava 4 tank. Among its most prominent capabilities are:

• A new generation of Kornet anti-armor missiles, targeting light fortifications, watchtowers and military points.
• Iran developed it from the Israeli “Spike” system.
• It works with infrared guidance and has a camera that transmits a high-resolution image of the target throughout its flight until the moment it is hit.
• It has a penetrating warhead in the front, and the explosive head is positioned at the back of the missile to cause the required destruction.
• It hits its target 8 kilometers away.
• There are 3 models: “Almas 1” with a range of 8 km, “Almas 2” with a range of 7 km, and “Almas 3” with a range of 10 km.
• The weight of the warhead is 6.8 kilograms.
• Its speed is 250 meters per second and penetrates armor with a thickness of 1000 to 1200 mm.

“God’s Revenge” system

It consists of a platform carrying two “Cornet” missiles directed to strike a single target, but with a fraction of a second of difference. Among its capabilities are:

• A modified version of the Iranian “Dehlavieh” system.
• Its missiles are launched to achieve the greatest degree of destruction and avoid the Israeli “Trophy” system in its tanks to disrupt incoming projectiles.
• Easy to move and maneuverable, used day and night.

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“Flood” missile

It was among the most famous Hezbollah missiles that targeted Israeli military sites, and it was effective in hitting distant targets. Among its most prominent characteristics are:

• Anti-armor, which is a copy of the American “TOW” missile.
• It weighs approximately 3.5 kilograms and has a high-explosive warhead.
• It can penetrate tank armor.
• Its launch range is 3850 metres.
• Its maximum speed is regarding 310 meters per second.

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“Burkan” missile

• Short term manufactured locally.
• It carries an explosive warhead weighing between 300-500 kilograms of highly explosive materials capable of causing a major destructive effect.
• The range of its first version is between 300 to 500 meters.
• A cylindrical body stuffed with a large amount of explosives with a small propulsion engine.
• It was developed and used by Hezbollah for the first time during the current confrontation with Israel following the outbreak of the Gaza War.

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How large is Hezbollah’s arsenal of missiles?

According to the military website “Military Watch”, Hezbollah possesses a new class of anti-tank missiles similar to the Israeli “Spike” and the American “Javelin” missiles, which have recently gained great fame following their use in the war in Ukraine.

The website indicates that Hezbollah’s missiles have charged and tandem warheads and have the ability to engage upper armour.

According to the website, Hezbollah also owns:

– The Chinese Red Arrow-12 missile, or “Chinese Javelin,” was obtained by Iran or North Korea.
– “Almas” missiles, which he seized during the 2006 war from Israel and presented to Iran for development.
– Russian Kornet missiles that proved effective once morest the Merkava 4.

According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), Hezbollah is considered the most armed non-governmental entity in the world, as it possesses a large and diverse stock of unguided artillery missiles, ballistic and anti-aircraft missiles, tanks and ships, and it constantly receives advanced Iranian equipment.

The center conducted an inventory of Hezbollah’s missile arsenal, showing that:

– Its use of the North Korean “Phoenix-3” missile, which is more powerful once morest tanks.
– It strengthened its capacity with a network of tunnels and bunkers in southern Lebanon to shelter mobile artillery units from Israeli strikes.
Its missile arsenal is estimated at regarding 200,000 pieces, with a maximum range of 700 kilometers, as well as drones, anti-aircraft missiles, anti-ship missiles, tanks, and mortar shells.
– Scud C and Scud D missiles in a limited number.
It has Chinese-made C-802 anti-ship missiles, and Russian Yakhont missiles developed from Kornet missiles with a range between 120 and 300 kilometers.
– Missiles that can confront drones and helicopters, such as the SE-17 and SE-22.

Regarding Hezbollah’s missile capabilities, strategic expert Brigadier General Hisham Jaber told Sky News Arabia that the party possesses a large collection of missiles, ranging from “Katyusha” to “Grad,” and sometimes shows its weapons in the context of psychological warfare, and hides many of them to leave people confused. In Israel.

Jaber added that Hezbollah’s missile arsenal includes:

– Iranian-made Scud and surface-to-surface missiles in large numbers.
– Short-range, medium-range and long-range missile systems with a range of 250 km.
– Long-range Zelzal missiles and its upgraded version, Fateh 110.
– Medium-range missiles of the “Fajr 3 and 5” and “Khaybar” or “Raad 2 and 3” types, with a range of regarding 100 kilometers.
– Grad missiles with a range of 15 to 20 km, in addition to Russian Katyusha missiles with a range of 30 km.
Since 2006, it has developed the “Ayoub” and “Marsad” drones, carrying out intelligence missions over a range of 400 kilometers and carrying ammunition.

What is the danger of targeting the Merkava for Israel?

After Hezbollah targeted the Israeli Merkava tank, Haaretz newspaper said that the Almas 1 missile has advanced capabilities that allow its operators to launch it toward the target, even when it is behind a series of hills or when it is not located in a direct line of sight.

According to the newspaper, the Almas missile can generally be launched towards the location of the expected target, even when it is not visible to the launcher or his assistant.

The newspaper “Yedioth Ahronoth” and the “Israel 24” website also expressed their fear of “Almas” entering the battlefield due to its ability to fly in an upward curved path and cross fences and demolition to strike Israeli tanks.

Regarding this, Israeli military analyst Tal Anbar says that the party used for the first time the “Diamonds”, which originates from the Israeli “Spike” system that fell as spoils in its hands in the 2006 war, adding that “Hezbollah’s anti-armor missiles are a real problem for the Israeli army following the party received from Hamas movement has intelligence information regarding the latest armor protection systems, vehicles and Merkava tanks that fell into the hands of the Al-Qassam Brigades in Gaza.”

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