Israeli military's devastating strike on Hezbollah's Beirut stronghold
Israeli military (IDF) conducted a massive shelling aimed at Hezbollah's headquarters in Beirut. Al Jazeera reports that dozens of people likely died as a result of the attack. Additionally, many buildings were levelled. What could Israel have used to strike? We remind you of the country's arsenal.
In recent days, tensions have risen in the Middle East. More missiles are regularly striking Beirut, causing civilian deaths. In one of the latest strikes, a high-ranking Hezbollah commander, Ibrahim Kubaisi, was also killed. The Israeli army is intensifying attacks, and in the one carried out on Friday, September 27, even 15 missiles were used. Let's recall what arsenal Israel possesses and, therefore - what the army could have used to level part of Beirut.
Israel's arsenal
Israel, surrounded by countries whose policies are often hostile towards it, has been investing in the development of advanced weaponry for years. Particular attention is paid to technological innovations to ensure its battlefield advantage.
One of the key branches of the Israeli army is modern aviation. IDF's list of top machines includes F-35 and F-16 fighters. Both of these models are highly sought after worldwide. The aforementioned F-35 is a multirole stealth fighter jet that travels at a speed of 1.8 Mach (2,200 km/h or 1,367 mph) and can reach a range of 1,700 to 2,300 km (1,056 to 1,430 miles). The F-16, on the other hand, are fighters that travel at speeds of up to 2 Mach and can carry multiple missiles and various bombs.
Not just aviation
The Israeli army also relies on modern Merkava family tanks, which are considered among the most modern and best in the world. The version marked as Mk IV is an exceptionally developed defence construction. The hull of the Merkava features a massive shield capable of repelling attacks from anti-tank grenade launchers.
Israel also has a significant arsenal of air-to-ground and ground-to-ground weapons. The first category includes the AGM-65 Maverick, AGM-88 HARM, AGM-84 Harpoon, and the modern Wind Demon, primarily revealed in 2024. The latter are characterized by high precision - their Circular Error Probable (CEP) accuracy is measured at 1 ft, while the total range exceeds 200 km (124 miles).
Israeli army's ground-to-ground missiles
Regarding land-based weapons designed to attack land targets, the most notable in Israel's arsenal is the Jericho missile family (Jericho-2, Jericho-3, Jericho-4). The first has a range exceeding 1,500 km (932 miles), Jericho-3 reaches 11,500 km (7,152 miles), and Jericho-4 is still in development, with its range unknown. Each of them is, however, intended to carry nuclear warheads.
Additionally, other ground-to-ground missiles in Israeli service include Delilah missiles weighing nearly 200 kg (440 lbs) and with a range of 240 km (149 miles). The warhead weight of this ammunition reaches 30 kg (66 lbs), while its CEP accuracy is only 1 metre (3 ft). The range of this missile is 250 km (155 miles). Alongside Delilah is the LORA (Long Range Artillery) missile, a quasi-ballistic rocket weighing 1,600 kg (3,527 lbs) and over 5 metres (16 ft) in length. The warhead of this ammunition weighs nearly 600 kg (1,323 lbs) and can be launched at a distance of 430 km (267 miles) from the launch site.
The media have yet to specify what exact weaponry was used during the attack on Hezbollah's headquarters. However, it is possible that one of the missiles mentioned above participated in the strike.
