The Washington Post touches on Hezbollah's sophisticated arsenal
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The Washington Post says Hezbollah's air defense capabilities signal the extent of the group’s preparedness for war.
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Hezbollah fighters raise their group flags during the funeral of Ismail Baz, a Hezbollah commander and another fighter who were killed by an Israeli drone strike, in Chehabiyeh village, south Lebanon, April 17, 2024 (AP)
Hezbollah's arsenal comprises guided and unguided rockets, antitank artillery, ballistic and antiship missiles, and explosive-laden drones, signaling a potentially complex, multi-front conflict that could extend deep into "Israel", The Washington Post reported.
In a report titled What we know — and don’t know — about Hezbollah’s weapons arsenal, the news website said that analysts estimate Hezbollah possesses between 130,000 and 150,000 rockets and missiles, more than four times what Hamas was believed to have before the war on Gaza.
The Lebanese Resistance group also says it enjoys manpower of over 100,000 fighters, more than double the highest estimates of Hamas' combat strength before the war.
The report pointed out that Hezbollah maintains strict secrecy about its arsenal, leaving weapons experts to speculate on the full extent of its capabilities.
According to the report, most of Hezbollah’s arsenal consists of lower-grade, unguided munitions, which could pose a significant threat to "Israel’s" aerial defense systems if launched in large quantities. Even more concerning for "Israel" are the precision munitions that the Lebanese group confirms it possesses.
Much of the publicly available information comes from statements by Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, who affirms that Resistance fighters have used only "a portion of our weapons" in the operations against Israeli targets launched since October 8, the report indicated.
The Washington Post recalled that the group has used various short-range rockets and missiles, initially targeting Israeli tanks and other technical equipment near the border with occupied Palestine before escalating to attacks on military barracks and bases.
It noted that, on November 11, Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah revealed the Resistance fighters' use of Burkan rockets.
Fabian Hinz, a defense and military analyst at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, suggested that Burkan, an improvised rocket-assisted munition, can be easily assembled and has become a "signature weapon of Iran-supported groups in the region."
On its part, the Alma Research and Education Center, an Israeli think tank, highlighted that the Burkan rocket can be fired from a ground launcher and cause "extensive destruction" within 500 feet of the impact point.
The report recalled that Sayyed Nasrallah also disclosed in November that Hezbollah was using Grad rockets, which can travel between 12 and 24 miles and are launched in series. Although unguided, Hinz indicated that the group "can fire lots of them because they are cheap and, until certain ranges, they work."
In the same context, The Washington Post mentioned that Hezbollah used Iranian-made Raad rockets in a deadly attack on Haifa during the 2006 war, but has not launched any of them in this round of fighting.
In January, after "Israel" assassinated senior commander Wissam al-Tawil, Hezbollah began showcasing more advanced rockets, including the Iranian-made Falaq model. This was followed by Almas weapons equipped with imaging cameras, which are guided anti-tank missiles capable of penetrating heavy armor.
However, the report emphasized that larger guided ballistic missiles, such as the Fateh 110, pose a greater threat with a range of up to 185 miles, potentially putting Tel Aviv and even occupied al-Quds within range. It added that it is unclear what impact these missiles might have if launched across the border from Lebanon, especially in large numbers.
In 2022, Sayyed Nasrallah affirmed that Hezbollah can convert its rockets into precision-guided missiles" with the help of Iranian experts.
Shaan Shaikh, a fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and deputy director of the center's Missile Defense Project, pointed out that precision-guided munitions (PGMs) are more effective because they are "equipped with active seekers."
He said that Sayyed Nasrallah has mentioned PGMs and the Israeli military has "raised concerns" regarding the matter.
Hinz said Hezbollah is secretive about its arsenal, highlighting that the group took 13 years to reveal its use of a C-802 missile to sink an Israeli ship in 2006.
The Washington Post report noted that anti-ship missiles can also be used to strike offshore oil platforms, particularly in "Israel's" Leviathan gas field, which Hezbollah pointed to last month.
Drones
Touching on Hezbollah's aerial capabilities, the report mentioned that the Lebanese group "has a large fleet of drones at its disposal, varying in size, shape, and capability."
Hezbollah first confirmed in an official statement that it launched an aerial attack on an Israeli military site in the occupied Syrian Golan with explosive-laden drones on November 2.
Hinz suggested that the type of drone used in this operation and other attacks is likely similar to the Iranian-made Ababil-T drone, which the Alma Research and Education Center estimates can travel about 75 miles carrying around 90 pounds of explosives.
The report noted that Hezbollah has also used commercial drones for reconnaissance and to test gaps in Israeli air defenses, citing the group's Hoopoe drone that flew over swathes of occupied Palestinian lands and captured footage of sensitive Israeli sites.
Air defense capabilities
Regarding Hezbollah's air defense capabilities, The Washington Post said that "it is unusual for non-state actors like Hezbollah to have air defense capabilities, signaling the extent of the group’s preparedness for war."
Hinz indicated that Hezbollah has used ground-to-air munitions, most notably the Iranian-made 358 anti-aircraft missile, to shoot down Israeli drones.
The analyst suggested that, on at least two occasions, the Lebanese group said it has used more advanced munitions, likely the Iranian Sayyad-2C missile -- "a radar-guided missile that can reach targets at nearly 90,000 feet — against Israeli fighter jets, forcing them to retreat."
Shaikh indicated that such capabilities could pose a unique and unusual challenge to Israeli air superiority.
The Washington Post suggested that, in a full-scale war, "saturation attacks", where hundreds of small rockets are launched simultaneously, could overwhelm "Israel's" Iron Dome.
Hinz mentioned that "Israel" has already spent a lot of Iron Dome interceptors during the war on Gaza.
"How many do they have left?"
The report cited experts as saying that Fateh ballistic missiles could be launched in salvos, raising critical questions about Israel's level of preparedness.
“How effective are David’s Sling and Arrow interceptors against these missiles?” Sheikh asked, referring to "Israel's" medium- and long-range missile defense systems.
"There’s a lot we don’t know."
