Israel's covert strike in Isfahan. The cutting-edge arsenal at play
Israel could have utilized advanced long-range weapons fired from aircraft in the attack on the Iranian centre in Isfahan. We present what weapons Jerusalem could have used to strike the opponent.
The attack on the Iranian centre in Isfahan was carried out using cruise missiles. The exact models are unknown, but Israel has a limited choice of weapons that can destroy targets more than 621 miles from its border.
Besides the ballistic missiles Jericho, which carry nuclear warheads and constitute a kind of "ultimate weapon," Israel has at its disposal aviation launching cruise missiles several hundred miles from the target.
The long arm of Israeli aviation
The Israeli Air Force (IAF) boasts a wide arsenal of precision weapons. The most well-known weapon is the Popeye cruise missiles, which were introduced into service in 1986. Initially, these missiles had a range of about 62 miles. The most popular variant is the Popeye Turbo, which has a turbojet engine and a range exceeding 186 miles.
The missiles mentioned weigh more than a ton and carry a warhead weighing about 771 pounds. Popeye has a circular error probable (CEP) of less than 3 yards. High precision is possible thanks to a combination of satellite and inertial navigation, supported by an optoelectronic head operating in infrared. The head can also independently identify the target thanks to image identification algorithms.
The second most well-known IAF weapon is the Delilah cruise missile, introduced into service in 1994. It has a turbojet engine and a range of 155 miles. It is characterized by a low weight of about 407 pounds, of which 66 pounds are for the warhead. This weapon's accuracy is below one yard, ideally suited for destroying targets such as radar or anti-aircraft missile launchers.
High accuracy is achieved through a combination of GPS and INS navigation and an optoelectronic head that sees the thermal image of the target. Interestingly, the missile can circle in the air for some time, awaiting its appearance or repeat a failed attack. One aeroplane can carry many of these weapons.
Delilah and Popeye are subsonic designs, moving below Mach 1 (about 767 mph). Like the Storm Shadow missiles used in Ukraine, they fly at low altitudes, which makes it difficult for the enemy to detect them by radars.
However, these systems have a relatively low range, which would necessitate their launch quite close to Iranian airspace. In recent times, Israel has developed new missiles known as ROCKS and RAMPAGE, which were first unveiled a few years ago.
They most likely offer an extended range from previous solutions, estimated at at least 310 miles. According to the manufacturer, the ROCKS cruise missile is equipped with a fragmentation or penetrating warhead, and guidance is to ensure accuracy within 3 yards. As in the case of Popeye, we have a GPS/INS navigation tandem and an optoelectronic head operating in infrared mode. ROCKS can also be used as an anti-radar missile to destroy the enemy's radars.
RAMPAGE, on the other hand, is a supersonic design. Such missiles are much more difficult targets than subsonic solutions.
Unfortunately, the range of this novelty remains unknown. However, the manufacturer reveals that the missile can perform complicated manoeuvres and hits the target at speeds up to nearly 1,242 mph, or Mach 1.7. RAMPAGE weighs about 1256 pounds, has a length of about 4.37 years, and a diameter of 11 inches.
The manufacturer also claims that F-16 aircraft can carry up to four missiles. The weapon is also supposed to fit in the internal chambers of Israeli F-35I Adir fighters. What exactly was used in the attack on the Iranian centre will likely be made public after the debris from the strike area is identified.
