Israeli airstrike on Beirut: Precision weaponry in action
6:37 AM EDT, July 31, 2024
On the afternoon of July 30, the Israeli army conducted a targeted airstrike on Beirut, the capital of Lebanon. The objective of the attack has already been confirmed. Here, we explore the weapons that may have been used in the assault.
The situation in the Middle East has been agitated for many months. This time, Israel conducted an attack targeting Fuad Shukr, a high-ranking Hezbollah commander. Recall that in October of last year, Hezbollah, in solidarity with Hamas, attacked Israel on the border with Lebanon. Fuad Shukr is a close advisor to Hezbollah's chief, Hassan Nasrallah.
Israel's attack on Beirut
"We conducted a targeted airstrike on the Lebanese capital, Beirut, aiming at the Hezbollah commander responsible for Saturday's fatal attack on the Golan Heights and other strikes on Israel," the Israeli army said in an official statement.
The Israeli army is very well-equipped. It has not only rocket artillery systems but also several types of aircraft that can drop missiles and bombs from the air. These include F-16C/D "Barak," F-16I "Sufa," F-15I "Ra'am," and F-35I "Adir." Israel already has about 40 of the latter, and by the end of 2024, it plans to have as many as 50.
Israel's precision weaponry
As explained by Przemysław Juraszek, a journalist, Israel also has a vast arsenal of precision weapons. These include primarily Popeye family cruise missiles carrying warheads weighing 770 lbs., ranging from up to 186 miles. At a slightly shorter range of up to 155 miles, Israel can use Delilah cruise missiles with warheads weighing around 66 lbs. Crucially, Delilah and Popeye are subsonic missiles, moving below Mach 1 (768 mph) after launch but flying at low altitudes, making them difficult for radars to detect.
Additionally, Israel has newer ROCKS and RAMPAGE missiles with a range of up to 311 miles. Much information about these missiles remains unknown, but RAMPAGE missiles are inevitably supersonic, striking targets at Mach 1.7 (1,230 mph).
As for guided bombs, the Israeli army has primarily used laser-guided GBU Paveway bombs, as well as JDAM bombs with a combination of satellite and inertial navigation, and Elbit Systems' MPR bombs in previous attacks.
