 "How is Hezbollah responding to Israel? With these ‘Iran-made’ missiles")
The skies over Israel and Lebanon have turned yellow, as the Jewish nation and Hezbollah trade airstrikes against one another. On a day when Israel announced that it had begun a “limited, localised and targeted” ground operation in Lebanon, the militant group responded with its own airstrikes, making this one of the most “dangerous phases” of this ongoing conflict.
On Tuesday (October 1), air raid sirens rang out loud in Israel’s Tel Aviv, with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reporting that it had intercepted three projectiles fired by Hezbollah.
These strikes coupled with the ones over the past 10 days have once again put the spotlight on the Lebanese-based militant group’s missile prowess. We take a closer look at the various rockets that it has already deployed against Israel in recent days.
Fadi missiles rain down on Israel
According to a statement issued by Hezbollah, it “launched salvoes of Fadi 4 rockets at the Glilot base of Israel’s 8200 unit and the Mossad headquarters located on the outskirts of Tel Aviv.
Similarly, last week too, Hezbollah fired the Fadi rockets, targeting Israel’s Rafael military industry complexes in northern Israel as retaliation to the series of pagers and walkie-talkies exploding in Lebanon. Notably, this was the first time that Hezbollah had used these rockets since Hamas attacked Israel on October 7 last year, sparking the ongoing war in Gaza.
But how deadly are these Fadi rockets? Experts say that the Fadi missiles are tactical multi-use ground-to-ground rockets. Moreover, these rockets are named after Fadi Hassan Tawil, a Hezbollah militant killed by Israel in 1987.
Defence specialists note that the Fadi 1 variant is six metres long with a calibre of 220 mm and a payload of 83 kilogrammes. Meanwhile, the Fadi-2 while being the same size, has a 302 mm calibre, with a 170-kg payload and a range of 100 kilometres.
Some point out that the Fadi missiles are variants of the Syrian version of the Soviet 9M27 rocket, which is part of the Uragan multiple-launch rocket system (MLRS).
Notably, the first time that Hezbollah used the Fadi missiles was during Israel’s invasion of Lebanon in 2006.
Nour rocket strikes down Israeli town
On Monday (September 30), Hezbollah announced that it had fired a Nour missile at the Israeli border community of Kfar Giladi. According to the IDF, one projectile launched from Lebanon struck an open area near the community, causing no injuries.
This was the first time that Hezbollah used this missile against Israel since hostilities broke out between the two entities. The Nour missile is an Iranian cruise rocket designed for anti-ship combat – an improved version of the Chinese C801 and C802 missiles.
The Nour missile, measuring 6.38 metres and a diameter of 36 centimetres (14.2 inches), has a range of up to 170 kilometres. The missile operates on solid fuel and can travel at an estimated speed of 0.9 Mach.
According to Boaz Shapira, a researcher at the Alma Research and Education Centre, what makes the Nour deadly is its capability to fly low, making it difficult to detect on radar.
Hezbollah’s Qader-1 missile
On September 25, last Wednesday, Hezbollah also used its Qader-1 missile against Israel, targeting the Mossad headquarters on the outskirts of Tel Aviv. In a statement, Hezbollah said that it was at this location that the assassination of its top commanders and the exploding pager attack was planned.
The Qader-1 missile types are Iranian long-range surface-to-surface missiles. They were first revealed in 2007. The Qader missiles are considered to be the most modern and upgraded version of the Shahab-3 ballistic missile.
The weapon, which has a range of 200 to 300 kilometres, is famed for its accuracy and payload. Its warhead weighs between 700 to 1,000 kilograms. Reports state that it uses a combination of liquid and solid fuel and its trajectory is similar to ballistic missiles.
Experts also note that the Qader missiles are equipped with guidance systems and other electronics, which sets them apart from unguided rocket artillery like Katyusha and Fadi.
While Hezbollah launched this missile, Israel intercepted it with the help of its Arrow defence system .
Hezbollah’s other missiles
While the Lebanon-based group has used Fadi, Nour and Qader missiles from its arsenal, it possesses upwards of 150,000 missiles and rockets, according to the World Factbook of the US Central Intelligence Agency.
A report by the Centre for Strategic and International Studies estimates that Hezbollah possesses 40,000 to 80,000 short-range unguided rockets with ranges of up to 20 kilometres, as well as 60,000 to 80,000 long-range rockets capable of reaching distances of up to 100 kilometres. It also equipped with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) with an estimated arsenal of at least 2,000 UAVs.
Among these, analysts claim the bulk of the missiles are Katyusha-style missiles with a range of 30 km. Hezbollah also has other Iran-made missiles such as Raad (Arabic for Thunder), Fajr (Dawn) and Zilzal (Earthquake) rockets, which have a more powerful payload and longer range than Katyushas.
Defence experts note that Hezbollah’s large arsenal of rockets gives the group the ability to fire hundreds or even thousands per day — reducing the efficacy of Israel’s Iron Dome .
With inputs from agencies
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