Did Hamas strike an airbase? This is where one of Israel's most potent weapons is stored
Journalists from "The New York Times" have reported that a missile, likely fired by Hamas, struck the Israeli Sedot Micha airbase. This is reportedly where Israel stores one of its most potent weapons - the missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads. Israel, a country that has neither confirmed nor denied its ownership of nuclear weapons, apparently holds a solid arsenal of this type of missile.
Israel's supposed possession of nuclear weapons was unveiled in 1986. The disclosure was made by Mordechai Vanunu, who was instrumental in the nuclear program. He notified international media, implying that the state might be listed among the world's notable nuclear powers. Israeli signalers, American officials, and satellite imagery analysts tend to support this claim, conjecturing that Israel indeed owns nuclear weapons.
Israel's nuclear arsenal
It is estimated that local depots could store between 300 and 500 warheads, including up to 80 that are ready for immediate use. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Israel has numerous means of deploying nuclear weapons - including gravity bombs and Jericho ballistic missiles. Jericho missiles are believed to be the primary carriers of the nation's nuclear warheads.
"The New York Times", quoting Hans Kristensen, the Director of the Nuclear Information Project for the Federation of American Scientists, stated that the Sedot Micha base might house between 25 to 50 Jericho missile launchers. Kristensen also assumes that no warheads were present on the base, presumably kept in a completely different location, and were, therefore, not at risk during the attack.
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The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) details that the Jericho missiles were developed back in the 1960s, named after the biblical city of Jericho - symbolizing sin and pagan worship. These missiles were developed collaboratively with the French aviation company Dassault. Although France stepped back from the project in 1969, Israel was able to proceed with it independently.
The IISS indicates that the first-generation Jericho missiles weighed approximately 14,330 lbs, had a length of around 44 feet, and a diameter close to 2.6 feet. They could carry a warhead weighing up to 992 lbs delivering power of around 20 kt, with a range of about 311 miles. Their accuracy (CEP) was approximated at 3281 feet, meaning that such a missile had a 50 percent chance of striking within a 3281-foot radius from the target. Israel retired the Jericho I missiles in 1990, replacing them with Jericho II missiles,
Jericho II missiles are a bit larger, with a length of about 49 feet and a diameter of around 4.4 feet. Their range is projected at around 2175 miles. They can reportedly carry conventional warheads that weigh about a ton, or nuclear ones offering the power of a megaton. The IISS notes that their accuracy has improved to an estimated 492 feet. The most recent member of the missile family is the Jericho III which, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), was tested in 2008 and commissioned in 2011.
Jericho III missiles are designated as intercontinental ballistic missiles. They are estimated to be about 51 feet long and 5.1 feet in diameter and weigh approximately 66,000 lbs. These missiles are capable of carrying warheads that weigh about 2866 lbs., capable of striking targets located over 6835 miles away. The Jericho III can also carry "MIRV warheads with 3-6 sub-warheads of 100 kt each, each of which can attack a separate target".
