Hezbollah air defenses cut further into Israeli air superiority

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Islamic Resistance in Lebanon - Military Media
11 Jun 2024 01:23
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Hezbollah publishes footage of the latest interception and downing of an Israeli Hermes 900 drone violating Lebanese airspace.

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A screengrab from a video published by the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon - Hezbollah shows an Israeli Hermes 900 drone crashing over Lebanese territories after being successfully intercepted by Hezbollah's air defenses, on June 11, 2024. (Islamic Resistance in Lebanon/Military Media)

The Islamic Resistance in Lebanon - Hezbollah downed an Israeli Hermes 900 multirole drone, as it was preparing to launch an aggression on Lebanon on Monday.

Hezbollah's air defenses intercepted and downed the highly-prized Israeli drone in an ambush and later published footage of the operation.

#الإعلام_الحربي في #المقاومة_الإسلامية ينشر مشاهد من عملية إسقاط المقاومة طائرة مسيّرة مسلّحة تابعة لـ"جيش" الاحتلال الإسرائيلي من نوع "#هرمز900 - كوخاف" في الأجواء اللبنانية.#لبنان #الميادين_لبنان pic.twitter.com/SANOxiBhnK
— الميادين لبنان (@mayadeenlebanon) June 10, 2024

So far, the Resistance has claimed responsibility for downing three Hermes 900 drones.

Hezbollah's effective use of air defense capabilities has struck fear in "Israel", as the occupation's air superiority has been put into question as a result of the operations.

The Israeli Air Force's air superiority has long been touted as a critical advantage for the Israeli occupation forces over their adversaries. However, recent developments in Lebanon have challenged this narrative. The downing of an Israeli drone and multiple incidents where warplanes have been forced to retreat due to interception attempts signifies a notable change. Hezbollah's successful use of air defense capabilities has eroded "Israel's" air dominance, further jeopardizing the occupation's military supremacy in the region.

What is of significant importance in today's operations is that the drone was monitored by Hezbollah's Air Defense Force for a substantial period before arriving at the point of ambush.

Read more: Hezbollah downs Israeli Hermes-900, bombards IOF 146 Division HQ

Israeli media outlets took note of the incident saying that the event was yet another "hit to Israeli superiority and a message from" the Secretary General of Hezbollah Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.

Expanding on that point, Israeli media outlets said that the message's essence is that Hezbollah "know how to down [Israeli] F-16 and F-15."

Hezbollah has not revealed that air defense systems were used in downing the drone and has publicly explained through its Secretary General that it would keep the systems an indefinite mystery.

Monday's event is also the deepest incident in which an Israeli Hermes 900 drone was downed in Lebanon, as the drone reportedly fell near al-Rihan Mountain, located around 17 km from the Israeli line of withdrawal from South Lebanon.

In the previous incidents, Hermes 900 drones were downed over Deir Meimas on April 6, 2023, and Deir Kifa on June 1, 2024, respectively.

The Islamic Resistance in #Lebanon downed an Israeli Hermes 900 UAV over South Lebanon.

🧵1/4 pic.twitter.com/NFTXl3nEnY
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) June 1, 2024

Each Hermes 900 drone costs around $10 million to produce and the Israeli Air Force operates an estimated 25 units; this makes the drone highly valuable for its rarity, as well as its ability to complete complex reconnaissance operations and carry lethal weaponry utilized in precision strikes.