Hamas unveils groundbreaking armor piercing EFP devices in Jenin

By Ali Halawi
Source: Al Mayadeen English
15 Jul 2023 21:02

The Jenin group of Al-Qassam Brigades announces the introduction of a new explosive device via a video circulated on social media.

Screengrab from a video showing the Shawaz EFP IED that was unveiled by Al-Qassam Brigades in Jenin, July 15, 2023 (Hamas Media)

Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, announces that its fighters in Jenin have developed an Explosively Formed Penetrator (EFP) or a self-forming warhead in Jenin on Saturday.

The device newly introduced to the West Bank city of Jenin has armor-piercing capabilities which marks a huge leap forward for the Palestinian Resistance in the city.

Shawaz [meaning flame in Arabic] looks to be similar to similar devices that were used by the Iraqi resistance against the US forces during their occupation of the country and against Israeli forces in South Lebanon before the year 2000 as well as in Gaza, indicating a possible growing collaboration between various parties in the Axis of resistance.

Such devices possess capabilities to penetrate up to 200mm of steel according to some US military data.

Al-Qassam Brigades stated the device was used to target occupation army vehicles in their last raid on Jenin and the Jenin refugee camp on July 3.

يُرْسَلُ عَلَيْكُمَا شُوَاظٌ مِنْ نَارٍ

بعون الله تعالى تعلن كتائب الشهيد عز الدين القسام في جنين
عن إدخال عبوة شواظ (1) الخارقة للدروع إلى الخدمة.

وإنه لجهاد نصر أو استشهاد

السبت 27 ذو الحجة 1444هـ
الموافق 15 يوليو 2023 pic.twitter.com/85UllGMTGj
— مهـ𓂆ـتدي بحمد (@MohtadiBahmad) July 15, 2023

"With the grace of Allah almighty, the Martyr Izz ad-Din Al-Qassam Brigades announced the introduction of Shawaz (1) armor-piercing explosive device into service. The sapper units of Al-Qassam [Brigades] detonated one of the devices on intruding enemy vehicles in their last raid on the Jenin camp, proving its highly destructive capabilities. Engineers of the unit continue to work day and night to produce the highest number of devices and develop newer versions of it. It is a jihad of victory or martyrdom. Saturday 27 Dhu al-Hijjah 1444 AH Corresponding to July 15, 2023."

An EFP device is formed of a case that holds explosive material and is covered by a conically shaped liner. The liner is aimed at the target since it is the weakest point from which the blast discharges. The metal sheet, usually made from copper due to its malleable properties, travels toward the target while transforming into an arrow-like shape that allows it to penetrate armored vehicles. The below figure shows how this process occurs.

An illustration of an exploding EFP shows how the liner transforms into an arrow-shaped object traveling at high velocity.

The Resistance group in the West Bank has followed in the footsteps of Resistance fighters in Lebanon and Iraq who fought against Israeli forces and the US army respectively.

The devices are manufactured from commonly available metal pipes and a concaved metal or copper disk. This major breakthrough in engineering capabilities will allow resistance fighters to effectively knock out encroaching Israeli military heavily armored vehicles from longer distances than conventional IEDs would permit. EFPs are placed along roadsides and at choke points where vehicles are forced to slow down or stop.

The device's operator as shown in the video footage, detonated the explosive through an electrical wire from a distance.