Israel's missile weapons inherit Soviet and Western models
The peculiarity of Israel's geopolitical position, given that this country has a very strong science and a powerful military-industrial complex, has led to the advanced development of missile weapons of all classes. Moreover, some samples of these weapons, in fact, become "their own classes", having no direct analogues outside the Jewish state.
LONG ARM
The creation in Israel of ballistic missiles (BR) capable of carrying both nuclear and conventional warheads (warheads) began in the 1960s, first with the assistance of France.
The Jericho-1 missile has a range of up to 500 km, the mass of the warhead, according to various sources, ranges from 400 kg to 1 ton (maybe nuclear). These BRS in nuclear equipment were ready for use in the first days of the October 1973 War (" Israel's Day of Judgment ", "HBO" from 19.10.18), when the Israeli army suffered defeats on both fronts. Up to 150 such BRS were built.
The Jericho-2 rocket entered service in the early 1990s. The range of its flight is, according to various sources, from 1.5 to 3.5 thousand km, the most likely value is 1.8 thousand km. The mass of the warhead is 1 ton. Up to 90 of these BRS are manufactured.
In the middle of the noughties, the Jericho-3 BR was created, which can have a range of up to 4.8 thousand km (according to some sources – up to 11.5 thousand km, that is, it is a full-fledged intercontinental ballistic missile, which raises great doubts). The mass of the warhead reaches 1.3 tons . It is not clear how many of these BRS were produced.
The total number of nuclear charges in Israel is estimated at 138-190 units (although possibly up to 400). However, not all of these charges are installed on the BR.
Apparently, one of the carriers of Israeli nuclear charges is the Popeye rocket. In general, this is a conventional air-to–surface missile with a combined guidance system (inertial + infrared or television) and a flight range of about 80 km (warhead weight is about 350 kg). As such, it was exported to a number of countries. In particular, Popeye is in service with the US Air Force under the name AGM-142 Have Nap, and the missile carriers can be both tactical aircraft and B-52 strategic bombers.
Perhaps there is an enlarged version of the "Popeye turbo" ALCM, which is, in fact, an air-launched cruise missile (KRVB), close in size to the American AGM-86, the flight range exceeds 300 km. In addition, there is allegedly a sea-based cruise missile (CRMB) "Popeye turbo" SLCM, which can be launched from a Dolphin-type submarine of the Israeli Navy. This missile is capable of carrying a nuclear warhead with a capacity of up to 200 kt at a range of 1.5 thousand km. However, there is no 100% confirmation of the existence of the KRVB and KRMB based on Popeye.
In the usual version, this missile was used by Israeli Air Force aircraft against targets in Syria. It is possible that one missile in December 2014 was shot down by the upgraded S-125M anti-aircraft missile system (SAM) of the Syrian Air Defense.
ISRAELI UNIQUE
Another very unusual Israeli missile is the Delilah. It has an inertial guidance system based on GPS + infrared signals in the final section, a flight range of 250 km, carries a 30-kilogram conventional warhead. It can be launched from airplanes, helicopters, ground and ship launchers (PU).
In fact, the rocket is a kamikaze drone ("The popularity of Israeli drones is growing ", "HBO", from 20.01.23). It is able to barrage in the target area, detect this target and attack it. This "Delilah" is fundamentally different from the vast majority of conventional missiles, which are aimed at a target with coordinates already known before the launch of the missile. It is believed that such missiles are especially effective for breaking through the enemy's air defense system. In May 2018, they seemed to be used on Syrian air defense systems, but the result is not entirely clear.
The Spike missile itself is a conventional anti–tank guided missile (ATGM) with television or infrared guidance, exists in several modifications (depending on the firing range - from 1.5 to 8 km) and has been exported to many countries around the world.
A "special" modification of the ATGM can be considered a "Spike"-NLOS (from non line of sight, "out of sight") with a firing range of 25 km (in Israel itself it is called "Tamuz"). In fact, this is a "mini-tactical missile", while remaining an ATGM. It can receive external target designation from an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) or an artificial Earth satellite (ISS). "Spike"-NLOS has an electron-optical guidance system, which significantly increases its noise immunity, allows you to re-aim the missile in flight, capturing the target after launch (as with "Delilah"). At the same time, it is also possible to implement the principle of "shot and forgot", that is, the implementation of fully autonomous guidance.
The missile can be equipped with both a cumulative warhead for hitting armored targets, and a fragmentation one for hitting other types of targets. It is launched from a variety of ground-based PU (in particular, a "rocket tank" was created in Israel on the basis of the outdated M48A5), from helicopters and even from ships and boats. In the battles in the Middle East, Israel has already used up to 1 thousand "Tamuz". In addition to the IDF (Israel Defense Forces), Spike-NLOS was acquired by the United Kingdom, the Republic of Korea, Colombia and Azerbaijan. Moreover, in the latter case, it is used in the ship version.
It should be noted the anti-tank missile system (ATGM) LAHAT (Laser Homing Attack or Laser Homing Anti-Tank), the rocket of which can be launched through the barrels of tank guns, with a caliber of both 105 and 120 mm. In addition, ATGM can be used from ground-based PU, from helicopters and UAVs. In the USSR/Russia has also created ATGMs launched through tank guns, but they cannot be used with any other PU. In other countries, there are no analogues of the LAHAT ATGM at all.
The synthesis of a tactical missile and a multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) is the "Lora" (LORA, long range artillery missile) with a flight range of up to 300 km and a warhead mass of up to 600 kg. At the same time, four missiles are placed on one PU. "Laura" may have been used against targets in Syria, there is information that one such missile was shot down by the Pantsir-S1 anti-aircraft cannon-missile system (ZRPC). The first foreign buyer of "Laura" was Azerbaijan, which used it during the second Karabakh War (" Armenia – Azerbaijan: 26 years later ", "HBO" from 11/27/20).
MLRS "Lynx" (Lynx, Israeli name "Kotesh"), recently renamed PULS (multi-Purpose Universal Launching System), can act in different roles. On the machine "Links" can be installed:
either two "packages" (20 unguided missile shells (NURS) of the Soviet 122-mm MLRS BM-21 "Grad"; or two "packages" (13 NURS) of the Israeli "conventional" 160-mm MLRS LAR-160;
or two similar AccuLAR MLRS "packages" (in it, 122-mm and 160-mm rockets are no longer NURSES, their trajectory is corrected by GPS signals);
or the two aforementioned Delilah missiles;
or four Predator Hawk missiles;
or two "packages" of four "EXTRA" missiles (EXTRA).
At the same time, the chassis of the "Links" can be different, including, for example, KAMAZ vehicles.
"Predator Hawk" is another type of Israeli tactical missiles (TR) with a firing range of up to 300 km and a warhead weight of up to 140 kg.
The Extra missile has a firing range of up to 150 km, the warhead weight is up to 125 kg, guidance is also carried out by GPS. "Extra" can be used for both ground and surface targets. Therefore, in particular, in the Armed Forces of Vietnam, it is used in the coastal defense forces, while Vietnam also acquired the AccuLAR variant. "Links" is also available in the army of Kazakhstan (under the name "Naiza"). Azerbaijan has also become another buyer of the system.
In the near future, PULS will also be delivered to the Armed Forces of Denmark and the Netherlands, which previously got rid of their M270 MLRS MLRS by selling them to Finland. However, the events in Ukraine have confirmed the value of MLRS, so now the Danes and the Dutch will no longer buy American, but Israeli systems.
SHIELD OF ISRAEL
Israel is developing missile defense systems (ABM) extremely actively. The targets for these systems are potentially very diverse: from medium-range ballistic missiles (MRBMS) to NURSes (either from "normal" MLRS, or even homemade). Intercepting these targets is a very difficult task, and for different types of targets, the difficulties are also different.
The first Israeli missile defense system was the Arrow complex ("Hetz", "Arrow"). It is designed to fight only with "classic" (operational) tactical missiles at a range of up to 100 km and at an altitude of up to 50 km. More advanced modifications of the Arrow-2/3 should have the ability to intercept the BRSD.
The Arrow anti-aircraft missile system battery includes a command post (KP), a radar station (radar) and four PU (6 missiles each). Simultaneous tracking of 12 targets (at a range of up to 900 km) and firing of one of them with two missiles is provided. Currently, Arrow-2 batteries formally cover almost the entire territory of Israel, but in fact they can only repel single BR strikes (due to limited ammunition).
The next element of the missile defense system was the Iron Dome. It is designed to intercept NURSes (from MLRS BM-21 or homemade "Cash Registers"), although theoretically it can hit aircraft and BR. The battery has a KP, radar and 3 PU with 20 missiles each. At least eight batteries are currently deployed.
A serious disadvantage of the ZRS is that each of its missiles costs at least 30 thousand dollars, and intercepted NURSES – less than 1 thousand dollars. In addition, the effectiveness of the ZRS, although high, is below 100%. However, theoretically, the damage to civilian and military facilities in the event of a NOURSE hitting them can significantly exceed the price of the Iron Dome missile. In addition, the NURS, whose trajectory leads "into the void" (that is, they do not threaten any objects), the Iron Dome does not fire, saving anti-aircraft guided missiles (missiles) and money. Since 2011, the air defense system has shot down up to 2 thousand . Palestinian rockets, how much the anti–aircraft missile system has spent on them - "history is silent."
An intermediate version of the missile defense system, designed to intercept heavy NURS and short-range missiles, is considered to be the David Sling air defense system, the first battery of which was deployed in 2017. The missile of this air defense system costs up to $ 1 million, which further aggravates the problem described above, when the projectile turns out to be much more expensive than the target it hits (in this case, this applies not only to NURS, but also to BR). The first successful combat use of the "Sling" happened in May of this year.
In addition, a significant number of "conventional" missile systems have been created in Israel. These are, for example, the Spider land-based air defense system and the Barak ship-based air defense system, MAPATS ATGM, Shafrir, Python, Derby air-to-air missiles, Gabriel anti-ship missile (RCC). Many countries of the world have acquired them.
A very significant number of various Israeli missiles are in service with the Indian Armed Forces, Azerbaijan and other post-Soviet countries, Vietnam and other countries of eastern Asia, many NATO countries, Africa and Latin America are actively buying them, as mentioned above.
Israel has practically no political restrictions in the field of arms exports (except for some Arab countries), while creating many unique combat systems. Israeli weapons are often a synthesis of Western and Soviet/Russian scientific and design schools, which makes it possible to adapt them to the needs of most existing armies.
Alexander Khramchikhin
Alexander Anatolyevich Khramchikhin is an independent military expert.
