Iron Sting: Israel's new weapon in the war against Hamas

Israel has for the first time used its ‘Iron Sting’ weapons system in an operation. The Israeli Defence Forces’ Maglan Unit on Sunday used the new guided munitions system against Hamas rocket launchers in the Gaza strip.

יחידת מגלן בשיתוף חיל-האוויר, סיכלה עשרות מחבלים באמצעות מגוון אמצעי לחימה, ביניהם פצצת מרגמה (פצמ״ר) חדשנית ומדויקת, הנקראת "עוקץ פלדה".

צפו בתיעוד מתקיפת משגר רקטות באמצעות "עוקץ פלדה" pic.twitter.com/ucphdgboJN

— Israeli Air Force (@IAFsite) October 22, 2023

Israel previously claimed the ‘Iron Sting’ would allow Israeli land forces a new level of precision all the while minimising the risk of civilian casualties. The development comes amid Israel being accused of committing war crimes in Gaza in response to the 7 October Hamas attack. But what is the Iron Sting? How does it work? Let’s take a closer look: The Iron Sting system was developed by the Israeli military along with local firm Elbit Systems. As per NationalInterest.org, within the Israeli military, its Directorate of Defense Research and Development in the Ministry of Defense and the Israel Defense Force’s Ground Forces took the lead. Elbit System is a leading defence firm in Israel. As per National Interest.org, it is a precision laser and GPS-guided mortar munition. The system fires off 120mm mortar rounds with maximum accuracy.

The Israeli Air Force describes the system as “an innovative and accurate mortar bomb.”

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As per The Federal, it has a range of 1 to 12 kilometres. Its range depends on the ammunition. It is meant to be used in urban environments and on open terrain. It can even pierce double-reinforced concrete, as per Jerusalem Post. sThe system was successfully tested in southern Israel ahead of production and supply to the Israeli army. Yaniv Rotem, head of the Defense Ministry’s Administration for the Development of Weapons and Technological Infrastructure, told The Times of Israel the weapon was in development for a decade. [caption id=“attachment_13287922” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Meant to be used in urban environments, the Iron Sting system was in development for over a decade. Image courtesy: Elbinsystems.com[/caption] Rotem, calling the system s “groundbreaking”, said it would allow infantry the type of accuracy that was previously only available from missiles and airborne weaponry. As per Fox News, the testing of the weapons system concluded in March 2021. On Sunday, IDF unleashed the heaviest 24 hours of bombing since the Israel-Hamas conflict began two weeks ago, with media sources in Gaza saying 400 Palestinians were killed in strikes across the enclave. As part of their aerial assault, the Israeli army and air force utilised the ‘Iron Sting’ weapon, described as ‘an innovative and accurate mortar bomb’. IDF also shared a video of its the ‘Iron Sting’.

מפא"ת, זרוע היבשה בצה"ל ואלביט מערכות השלימו לאחרונה סדרת ניסויי ירי מוצלחת בפצצת מרגמה מדויקת מונחית לייזר ו-GPS. הסדרה חותמת את שלב הפיתוח של הפצמ"ר, "עוקץ פלדה", לקראת המסירה לצה"ל. הפצמ״ר נועד לאפשר אש מדויקת וקטלנית בשטחים פתוחים ובמתחמים אורבניים, תוך צמצום נזק היקפי. pic.twitter.com/CJscK2zBbw

— משרד הביטחון (@MoDIsrael) March 14, 2021

The footage of the moment the 120mm mortar was released appears to show it decimating an enemy rocket launcher in what it said was a ‘precise’ attack’, Daily Mail reported. The Federal quoted Maglan unit commander Major General Omer Cohen as saying, “Thanks to the precision, lethality, and expertise of the fighters, the Maglan unit in cooperation with  the Air Force foiled dozens of terrorists with a variety of means, one of which  is the precision IED Iron Sting. The unit has eliminated over 100 operatives  inside Gaza since the beginning of the war.” “From the beginning of the war, the Commando Brigade fought fiercely against the  enemy’s brutal attack and eliminated over 100 terrorists in the Gaza Strip.  Regular and reservist Magellan, Egoz, and Duvdevan units will get to any place and any enemy and eliminate them. Together we will win; I am sure of our  soldiers and trust them,’’ Cohen added. ‘Changes the battlefield’ Colonel Assaf Shatzkin, head of the land systems department in the ministry’s research division, in March said the new mortar system would help the army against enemies like Hamas and Hezbollah. He said it could strike short-range targets within several kilometres with precision of just a few meters (yards). “With this precise mortar shell, it can be more focused on the enemy … without a collateral damage to those that are not relevant to the fighting,” he said. “We believe that we have been able to develop an efficient solution that enables us to increase precision and reduce collateral damage,” Elbit’s land division manager Udi Vered said in the defence ministry statement. Times of Israel quoted Colonel Arik Avivi, head of the IDF’s land forces weaponry department, as saying in March that it offers “an ability that until today was for the brigade or division, and we are bringing it now to the level of the battalion.”

He added that it gives “a very great lethality for that level” of force size.

Then defence minister Benny Gantz in March claimed the system “changes the battlefield and provides our forces with more accurate and effective means.” The Israeli military has found itself in recent years grappling with the challenge of battling Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip, while also training for the possibility of war against Lebanon’s Hezbollah militants. The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court in March opened a preliminary investigation into possible war crimes by Israel during its 2014 war in the Gaza Strip, when hundreds of civilians were killed during fighting between Israel and Hamas militants. Around 2,250 Palestinians, mostly civilians, were killed in the fighting in the densely populated enclave in 2014. Israel has blamed Hamas for the civilian casualties, citing the group’s attacks launched from residential neighborhoods. But human rights groups have said the military did not take sufficient precautions to distinguish between militants and civilians. Israel is widely expected to launch a ground offensive in Gaza following Hamas’ brutal 7 October rampage into southern Israeli communities. Tanks and troops have been massed at the Gaza border, and Israel says it has stepped up airstrikes in order to reduce the risk to troops in the next stages. More than 1,400 people in Israel have been killed — mostly civilians slain during the initial Hamas attack. At least 222 people were captured and dragged back to Gaza, including foreigners. Two Americans were released Friday, hours before the first shipment of humanitarian aid. More than 5,000 Palestinians, including some 2,000 minors and around 1,100 women, have been killed, Ashraf al-Qidra, a spokesman for the Hamas-run Health Ministry, said Monday. That includes the disputed toll from an explosion at a hospital last week. This is the deadliest by far of five wars fought between Israel and Hamas in less than 15 years. Israel has carried out limited ground forays into Gaza, and on Sunday, Hamas said it had destroyed an Israeli tank and two armored bulldozers inside the territory it has ruled since 2007. The Israeli military said a soldier was killed and three others were wounded by an anti-tank missile during a raid inside Gaza. The military said the raid was part of efforts to rescue hostages abducted in the 7 October attack. Hamas hopes to trade the captives for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. With inputs from agencies