When Iranian “Drones” and Missiles Attack Israel…
The interception of Iran's massive drone and missile attack on Israel was actually an extraordinary battle.
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Military parade to commemorate Iran's Armed Forces Day in Tehran, Iran, Wednesday (17/4/2024).
Despite Israel's counterattack on Iran, Israel and the US coalition's efforts to repel attacks by hundreds of DRONEs and Iranian missiles last weekend was actually an extraordinary military operation.
Why not. In terms of the type and number of weapons alone, the Iranian attack was the largest air attack in this decade. There were around 170-180 drones, 110 ballistic missiles and around 30 cruise missiles that attacked all of Israel in the early hours of April 14 2024.
The number of drones and missiles in Iran's attack was double Russia's massive missile attack on Ukraine. Like the Russian attack on October 10 2022, when Russian President Vladimir Putin was furious because the iconic Crimean Bridge was cut off by a truck explosion. The number of drones and missiles launched by Russia at the peak of the anger was "only" around 150 units.
Not surprisingly, because of the large number of drones and missiles launched by Iran, a number of world military analysts suspect that Iran has actually deployed all of its military capabilities in the air. In fact, it is believed that the ability to deploy such a large attack force will no longer be possible for the Iranian armed forces to repeat, at least in the near future.
Almost all drone attacks, cruise missiles and most of Iran's ballistic missiles are claimed to be able to be repelled by Israel and the US coalition. If the drone and missiles are not able to be blocked by Israel's air defense system, The United States and its coalition, it is certain that the land, territory and people will suffer destruction. unbearable because of the magnitude of the explosion that occurred.
A number of Iranian missiles are displayed during a military parade to commemorate Iran's Armed Forces Day in Tehran, Iran, Wednesday (17/4/2024).
The impact of destruction caused by the explosion of a ballistic missile with a warhead over 500 kilograms can be seen in the Russia-Ukraine war. The blast crater on flat ground can reach a depth of more than ten meters and width of tens of meters.
This is due to the explosive energy accompanied by very large kinetic energy because the warhead of a medium range ballistic missile (1,000 to 3,000 km) can hit a target at hypersonic speed, more than three times the speed of sound (The Center for Arms Control and Nonproliferation).
Referring to a report by the BBC news agency, Sunday (14/4/2024), four Iranian ballistic missiles successfully hit the Nevatim military air base in the Negev desert, southern Israel. This military base became the home base of the Israeli Stealth F-35I Adir fighter jet, which was the perpetrator of the attack on the Iranian consulate in Syria.
It was reported that damage occurred at the end of the runway and two aircraft hangars. Another missile targeted a radar site in northern Israel, but missed it. Somewhat different information was actually reported on the Times of Israelpage which stated that a C-130 transport aircraft was also hit by a missile attack.
What is unique is that the impact of the ballistic missile attack is not in line with the destructive power of the ballistic missiles used by Iran. Only a relatively small diameter crater is visible, which does not depict the impact of a ballistic missile warhead explosion. It is unclear which party is spreading disinformation.
A member of the Israeli military walks near an Iranian ballistic missile that fell in Israel at the Julis military base near the city of Kiryat Malachi, Israel on Tuesday (16/4/2024).
Iran's military "achievements".
Even though almost all of Iran's drone, cruise missile and ballistic missile attacks were repelled by Israel and the US coalition, the attack was still considered a success because the message it wanted to convey was Iran's courage to attack Israel on a large scale.
Geopolitically, there is no country in the Middle East that is capable and dares to attack Israel as badly as Iran's attack on April 14 2024. Iran's courage to attack on a large scale also proves the range, reliability and accuracy of Iran's drones and missiles which are now entering a phase that endangers Israel.
However the attack was considered satisfactory by Iran, the spokesman for the Israeli military or Israel Defense Force (IDF), Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, stated that 99 percent of Iran's missiles and drones were successfully intercepted before entering Israel's air territory. It was claimed that none of the drones and cruise missiles managed to reach Iran, only a few ballistic missiles reached their targets.
However, testimony from BBC correspondents in Jerusalem and video recordings on social media show different evidence. Dozens of Iranian drones and missiles had reached Israel's skies in the early hours of that morning. The Iron Dome system was seen operating very busy milling around like fireworks and was clearly visible above the Al-Aqsa Mosque (Dome of The Rock) area in Jerusalem.
Referring to the release of the Iranian news agency, IRNA (15/4/2024), the drone used was the Shahed-131/Shahed-136 type weighing 200 kg. Meanwhile, the ballistic missiles used were the Kheibar Shekan weighing 4.5 tonnes and the Emad missile weighing 17.5 tonnes. Meanwhile, the type of cruise missile used is the Paveh type with an unknown total weight.
From X IDF's report, the Iranian attack on Israel started around 03.18 local time and was only declared "safe" at 11.54 local time, marked by the return of the F-35I Adir fighter jet from an air patrol. Overall, the Iranian attack came in waves for about five hours.
Although Iran's massive air strikes did not cause any casualties, there was one victim, a seven-year-old Bedouin girl named Amina al-Hassouni in the southern Israeli city of Arad. The little girl was hit by shrapnel from an Iranian missile that fell and penetrated the roof of her house.
There is also a circulating photo of three large casings that used to accommodate ballistic missile or cruise rocket bodies that are still intact. The missile casings are truly enormous, with a diameter of approximately 1.25 meters and a length of around 15 meters. The latest video on FOX's page, Tuesday (16/4/2024), shows IDF spokesperson, Daniel Hagari, standing next to the casing of a ballistic missile that is claimed to carry 500 kg of explosive warhead.
The Iranian missile was transported by truck during the Army Day parade at a military base in Tehran, Iran, on April 17, 2024. In the parade, President Ebrahim Raisi warned that even the "smallest invasion" by Israel would have significant consequences.
Iranian drones and missiles
The Shahed-136 drone, which has a speed of 185 km/h, is estimated to take around 9 hours of travel to reach Israel from Iran, which is approximately 1,700 km away. Meanwhile, the Paveh cruise missile, which has a speed of 600 km/h, requires a two-hour journey to Israel.
This drone is known as a kamikaze drone which is effective in having a psychological impact because it carries a warhead of 30-50 kg. If hundreds of Shahed 131 and 136 drones are able to reach their targets, it is certain that infrastructure and buildings in Israeli cities will be destroyed like in Ukraine.
Meanwhile, the Kheibar Shekan and Emad-1 ballistic missiles, which have a speed of 5000 kph (Mach 4), only require about 12 minutes of travel to reach Iran. However, a number of missiles are launched from military bases affiliated with Iran, such as the Houthi fighters in Yemen, militias in Syria, and Hezbollah forces in Lebanon, with varying distances.
The Kheibar Shekan missile is one of the most modern in Iran's missile arsenal and is classified as a medium range ballistic missile or MRBM(medium range ballistic missile). The Kheibar is solid fuel and can reach a distance of 1,450 km.
Israeli military personnel stand next to a ballistic missile from Iran that fell in Israel, near the city of Kiryat Malachi, on April 16, 2024.
The Emad ballistic missile (Emad-1) is a liquid-fuel MRBM, MaRV (maneuverable re-entry vehicle) capable, and has a range of 1,700 km. The Emad-1 is a development of the Shahab-3 missile and is Iran's first ballistic missile to have MaRV capabilities to increase its accuracy (missilethreat.csis.org).
Emad-1 has a warhead with a size of 500-750 kg and has the advantage of a more advanced control system, namely when the warhead carrier enters the atmosphere, it is able to maneuver from a high trajectory.
Evidence from videos circulating in the media shows that the almost perpendicular trajectory of these ballistic missiles escaped the Israeli air defense system, then plunged like lightning into land, namely Israel's Nevatim air base. This is evidence of Emad-1 battle proven.
Iran also launched the Paveh cruise missile, which is a surface-to-surface cruise missile capable of attacking targets from various directions and altering its flight path. IRNA reported that the missile has a range of 1,650 km, still below the range of the US-made Tomahawk cruise missile, which can travel up to a maximum of 2,400 km.
Iran's missile development
In addition to the Emad missile type, Iran also possesses and is developing the Ghadr-1 missile which is also a medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM). Having almost the same physical dimensions as the Emad-1 missile, except for the design of the missile's tip, Ghadr-1 weighs 19 tons.
Both the Emad-1 and Ghadr-1 have the capability to carry conventional or nuclear warheads with a warhead carrying vehicle (RV). In January 2021, Iran claimed to have hit a warship 1,800 km away using an Emad-1 missile during a military exercise.
Also read: Iran's attack on Israel, the peak of the feud between the Middle Eastern superpowers
The newspaper Hindustan Times quoted Iran's news agency, IRNA, several days before the April 14 2024 attacks showing the names of nine ballistic missiles capable of reaching Israel. The range of ballistic missiles ranges from 1,500 km to 2,000 km, each with its own characteristics.
Among them are MRBM Sejjil (with a range of 2,500 km), MRBM Kheibar (2,000 km), MRBM Emad (2,000 km), MRBM Shahab-3 (2,000 km), MRBM Ghadr (1,950 km), MRBM Paveh (1,650 km), MRBM Fattah-2 (1,400 km), Kheibar Shekan (1,450 km), and MRBM Haj Qasem (1,400 km).
Also read: Could Iran's attack trigger a world war?
However, there is still doubt among Western military observers regarding the reliability of missiles such as Emad and Ghadr, which require high capability in destroying moving targets such as aircraft carriers or other strategic targets.
The success of Israel and the US coalition in countering Iran's missile attack actually reveals the military capability of each side. Politically, Iran saved its reputation through its ability to massively attack Israel, which has never been done by any other country in the Middle East.
Also read: The Drone War and Indonesia's Readiness
On the other hand, the attack has made the Middle East region more vulnerable to a major war resulting from a frontal war between Israel and Iran, which is believed to drag several countries in the region into the war. Now, the world is preparing to face the turmoil of war again after Israel is determined to take retaliatory action against Iran's missile attack. (KOMPAS RESEARCH)
Also read: Iran's Unmanned Aircraft Development Tracks
