Israeli fighter jets bombed a loaded “Emad” missile launcher overnight Tuesday, aimed and ready to fire at Israeli civilians. The Israeli military has said its pilots have eliminated at least 40 percent of Iran’s ballistic missile launchers thus far.
The “Emad” is an Iranian-designed, liquid fuel medium-range ballistic missile that is an upgraded version of the Shahab-3, another medium-range, liquid-fueled, road-mobile ballistic missile with a range of 1,300 kilometers (810 miles).
The Emad missile currently in use against Israel carries a 750-kilogram (1,650 pounds) payload, with a target accuracy of 10 meters at a range of around 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles), putting Israel well within reach.
The missile carries a 750-kilogram (1,650 pounds) payload, with a target accuracy of 10 meters at a range of around 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles), putting Israel well within reach.
More than two dozen Israeli warplanes struck more than 40 military targets Wednesday morning in western Iran. The targets were missile infrastructure components that included missile storage sites and operatives of the Iranian regime.
In the early morning hours, Israeli aircraft continued flying through Iranian airspace searching for strike targets.
The IAF also identified and struck five Iranian AH-1 attack helicopters that were at a military base in the Kermanshah area.
The attack helicopters were to be used for attacks on IAF aircraft operating in Iranian airspace, the IDF said.
Iran’s AH-1 helicopter fleet has its origins in US deliveries made in the 1970s, prior to the 1979 Islamic Revolution. After decades of arms sanctions, Tehran embarked on a domestic upgrade program, developing the Toufan I and II variants, which feature locally integrated avionics and weapons systems.
The AH-1 attack helicopters, primarily designed for anti-armor and close air support missions, present a strategic threat to Israeli operational plans.
