On April 13-14, 2024, in retaliation for the air raid on the embassy, Iran suddenly launched a full-scale strike on its top rival, Israel. In addition to the core IRGC, Shiite militias in Iraq, Allah guerrillas in Lebanon, and the Houthis in Yemen have joined forces to launch a modern, textbook saturation attack.
According to information disclosed so far, Iran and its allies have used about 170 drones, more than 30 cruise missiles and more than 120 ballistic missiles in the attack. Here is a combing of the specific models, as well as the approximate parameters of these decisive weapons.
Witness 136 UAV
The Witness 136 UAV is the most well-known Iranian weapon in recent years
In recent years, drones have become increasingly important in warfare. The traditional military powers see it as a power booster, while the weaker latecomers want to take advantage of the opportunity to overtake in the corner. Iran is undoubtedly a prominent example of the latter group, which led to the launch of some 170 suicide drones at the beginning of the airstrikes.
The source of the Witness family's design is precisely the Israeli Harpy drone
As a typical suicide drone, the Witness 136 does not contain much advanced technology, and mainly relies on the advantage of cheapness to form a numerical suppression. The source of its design idea should be the Harpy UAV that Israel commissioned in 1997 and has been sold to South Korea, Turkey, India and China. The drone is mainly used to attack radar systems, with the characteristics of maneuverability, long range (500 km), high degree of ability, if it detects an unfamiliar signal, it will carry 32 kg of high explosives and crash into the target. Moreover, the triangular wing of the Harpy is only 2 meters long, and it can be launched and taken off directly from the truck, which is quite convenient to use.
A carrier truck for launching the Witness 136 drone
Of course, Iran's Witness 136 does not take radar air defense systems as the main target, but chooses a more sinking course of development. The drone also has a delta wing shape, but it is much larger than the original Harpy, with a wingspan of 3.5 meters and a range of 2,500 kilometers. After a rocket-boosted take-off, it is possible to approach the target area at an economic speed of 185 km/h. The built-in SIM card then provides communication and guidance, and transmits the data to the operator in the rear if required. Finally, the strike was carried out with a warhead weighing 30-50 kg.
2022 Fragments of the Witness 136 drone that haunted the Arabian Sea
Due to its inexpensive price and simple maintenance, the Witness-136 has been used in large quantities in various local military conflicts or side-scraping operations. For example, in Yemen in 2020, the Houthi rebels were first put into trial operation. Then in 2022, the Russian army, which was seriously short of weapon spare parts, was taken to the rescue, and instantly became a world-renowned suicide weapon. It can not only destroy artillery positions in the field, but also sneak attack enemy headquarters, power grids and other infrastructure, and even rear residential areas far from the front line. However, due to the problem of low performance, it is easy to be intercepted by various means. However, whether the Ukrainians use MiG-29 fighters, Patriot anti-aircraft missiles, or other anti-aircraft weapons of the former Soviet era, it will seem that the gains outweigh the losses. After all, the price of a single UAV is quite "close to the people", while the cost of traditional ammunition and fuel remains high.
In 2024, the Witness 136 drone shot down on the Russian-Ukrainian battlefield
Because of this, Witness 136 became the first unit in this saturation attack. Before the other missiles were launched, they quietly took off from their positions on Iranian soil and went straight to fixed targets such as air bases 1,050 kilometers away. Although they were constantly intercepted by the navy and air forces of Jordan, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Israel along the way, they also largely fulfilled their "historical mission." At the very least, it is better to attract anti-aircraft firepower and win the penetration space for the missiles that were originally planned to arrive at the same time. If the opponent's defenses were not prepared and well armed, they could have been sifted by 170 Witnesses.
Publicly demonstrated in Iran Witness 136 drone
It is conceivable that the UAV and its similar series of products will also be active in a number of hot spots for a long time. Because it has already been reported that the Witness 136 also has an upgraded version that uses a miniature turbojet engine - the Witness 238. It is even possible that they participated in this large-scale air raid. However, due to the change of the power system, the infrared signature of the whole UAV is more obvious, and the range is bound to be attenuated.
Propaganda poster for the Witness 136 drone
Four ballistic missiles
Iran claims all kinds of ballistic missiles on the poster
Of course, the real protagonist of this saturation attack is not the drone swarm, but the family of ballistic missiles that Iran has accumulated and upgraded over the years. For well-known reasons, the visibility of these weapons has increased in recent years, and the targets of attack have also extended from land units to mobile targets at sea. It's just that the effect is not satisfactory, and there is a dangerous trend of bottoms running out and people collapsing.
At present, the Israeli side claims that the Iranian military has used at least four ballistic missiles in the attack, including the Emad with a 750-kilogram warhead, the Gardel-110 with a warhead weighing 650-1000 kilograms, the Khyber with a 500-kilogram warhead, and the Shahab-3B with a 700-kilogram warhead.
Shahab-3B medium-range missile at Iran's military parade
Among them, the Shahab-3B has been in service for the longest time, appearing in the Iranian military's arsenal in 2003. Based on North Korea's Hwasong-7, the missile remains the most trusted medium-range ballistic missile in Iranian hands after many tests and refinements. Only in the current most complete batch of 3B, due to the upgrade of the guidance system and warhead, the range has been increased to 2,000 kilometers, and the accuracy of hitting has also been improved. But on the whole, it is still not a "stupid and crude weapon" suitable for precision strikes. With an altitude of 400 kilometers and a terminal penetration speed of about Mach 7, it cannot provide effective area kill without a nuclear warhead. The compromise strategy is to mount cluster munitions at the cost of further reductions in effectiveness.
Emad medium-range missile at an Iranian military parade
In comparison, the Emad ballistic missile, which entered service in 2015, is much better. Because of the installation of an advanced guidance system in the nose cone of the warhead, it is rumored that the accuracy of hitting has been increased to 50 meters. In addition to the conventional 750-kilogram high-explosive warhead, chemical weapons, nuclear weapons and even electromagnetic pulse versions are also available. Theoretically, it can attack any target within 1,750 km, but the exact number is unknown, and the stable annual production is also quite questionable.
Gazdel-110 medium-range missile at Iran's military parade
In addition, in 2015, the Iranian military began accepting the Gardel-110 ballistic missile. The missile has a range of 1800-2000 km and a warhead weight ranging from 650 kg to 1000 kg. Although it is based on the Shahab-3B, it uses a liquid-fueled first stage thruster and a solid-fuel second stage, resulting in higher maneuverability and shorter lead times for launch. At least in the official data on paper, it takes only 30 minutes to complete all the preparations before the launch, and then rush to the target at a top speed of Mach 9.
In November 2023, Iran's Gadel-110 was intercepted by an Israeli Arrow 2 missile
However, on November 6, 2023, a Gardel-110 fired by the Houthis in Yemen towards Israel was intercepted by the Arrow 2 air defense system when it was outside the Earth's atmosphere. Not only did it make the first case of space warfare in human history, but it also made the ballistic missile threat less mysterious and fraught with fear.
The Khyber medium-range missile, which will only make its high-profile debut in 2022
On February 9, 2022, Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps made another public appearance of the Khyber intermediate-range ballistic missile. It is said to have a range of about 1,450 kilometers and is fully equipped with solid fuel instead of traditional liquid fuel, resulting in a much higher reaction rate. With an altitude of 135 kilometers, it is even more difficult to intercept by conventional air defense systems, and is considered tailor-made for modern Western anti-missile systems. In January 2024, Iran fired four Khyber intermediate-range ballistic missiles from Khuzestan in the south in retaliation for the terrorist group that carried out the Kerman bombing. It's just that the specific results are unknown, and the real results are probably a bad debt.
At present, the Khyber medium-range missile has participated in actual combat twice
Cruise missiles and rockets
The area within Israel that is under attack by Iran and its allies
In addition to the drone swarm and intermediate-range ballistic missiles, Iran also dispatched cruise missiles and rockets in this saturation attack. It's just that the number is small and the influence is low, so it is not easy to be concerned by external public opinion. But they're still part of the combo and can't be ignored or ignored.
The Pavi cruise missile, which will only be unveiled in 2023
Among them, the Pavey cruise missile, with a range of 1,650 kilometers, is the latest weapon to be unveiled in 2023. According to official Iranian details, the missile has a turbojet engine and is highly intelligent, capable of taking different paths to get closer to the target. It can even strike in a group, using one of the missiles as a leader to provide guidance information for the other missiles that follow. Or simply act as a decoy and actively trigger the air defense system of a hostile country. Then let the other missiles of the group change the alternate line, and launch a real attack from a direction that the enemy did not expect.
BM21 multiple rocket launchers at a military parade in Lebanon
As for the rockets, it is the BM-21 Grad 122-mm vehicle-mounted multiple rocket launcher created in the former Soviet Union. As an old classic weapon, the effectiveness of the BM-21 is actually quite reliable. Each launcher requires only three people to operate, and in just 20 seconds, it can fire all 40 rockets, and can hit targets up to 52 kilometers away. But the accuracy of the system is lower than that of ordinary artillery, and it is simply not capable of delivering any precision strikes. And in the case of a small number, it is impossible to carry out effective surface damage on the enemy. This time, it was mainly operated by Shiite forces in Iraq and Lebanon, and the number of firing was only 350. The original intention of this was to attack the air defense network in the Golan Heights and other Israeli border areas, and the actual effect can only be said to be better than nothing.
Iran's saturation attack line with its allies
Unfortunately, the Israelis, with the help of various allied forces, were able to grasp all the information about all the missiles and drones launched by Iran almost immediately. Not at all to be fooled by rockets that cross the border, to use limited anti-aircraft fire on really high-value targets. It can be seen that in the face of modern information superiority, any opportunistic tricks are nothing but a futile exercise. It will not have any effect, and it will expose itself meaninglessly.
Jerusalem at night during this air raid
Although defeated, it is still glorious
This saturation attack is undoubtedly a textbook-level modern attack and defense
Thanks to precise intelligence and proper deployment, Israel was almost unscathed in this saturation attack. They effectively intercepted 99% of the incoming units, earning enough face for their country's air defense systems and military products. In turn, it has made Iran, the initiator, lose face.
Israeli Air Force F15 fighter jets waiting in the hangar
To be sure, however, Iran's performance in this large-scale airstrike remains a failure. Since the day of their invention, there have been very few real cases of large-scale use of ballistic missiles. From Nazi Germany, which initially relied on V2 rockets to bomb London, to Gaddafi and Saddam Hussein, who later vented their anger with Scuds, none of them have been able to achieve their original intentions. Iran, for its part, used similar tactics to bombard enemy cities during the Iran-Iraq war, and has recently been credited with guiding the Houthis in their bombing of merchant ships. It can be seen that the rich application experience is qualified to laugh at the world.
An Iranian ballistic missile intercepted in the air
Since the shortest distance between the country and Israel is about 965 kilometers, and the speed difference between the various weapons units is huge, careful planning and precise implementation are necessitated. Among them, suicide drones take several hours to fly, subsonic cruise missiles take 2 hours, and medium-range ballistic missiles reach the target airspace in just over 10 minutes. Without accurate calculations, rigorous training, and the trials and tribulations of war, it would have been impossible for the operators to get these weapons into the skies over Israel at the same time.
Iran happens to be the country with the most experience in ballistic missile combat at the moment
Rather than ridiculing Iran's poor performance or attributing technical deficiencies to political malfunction, it is better to say that they have found the wrong opponent. After all, there are not a few countries that are counting on a combination of drones + rocket artillery + ballistic missiles, and it is by no means easy to achieve effective integration......