The official insignia of the Israeli Mossad.
Video footage posted to social networks on June 14 showed one of the concealed drone launchers used a day earlier by the Mossad spy agency in the opening strikes of Operation Rising Lion which is aimed to cripple the nuclear program of Iran.
Mossad played a key role in the opening strikes. According to The Times of Israel, the spy agency set up a covert drone base near the Iranian capital, Tehran, and smuggled precision weapons systems into the Islamic Republic in preparation for the large-scale operation.
In the first hours of the attack, Mossad commandos deployed drones to take out ballistic missile launchers and used guided missiles to hit air defenses in central Iran, degrading the country’s offensive capabilities and ganting Israeli warplanes air supremacy over the region.
The drone launcher found somewhere in Iran after the attack was concealed in the back of a small truck. It included 20 cells with no special wiring or launch mechanisms.
The type of the drones used in the attack remains unknown, but the shape of launch cells suggest that the drone used had a cylindrical frame.
It is very likely that the Spike Firefly loitering munition was used, as it could fit perfectly in such cells and requires no assists in take off. The munition, developed by Rafael, has a range of up to five kilometers with an optical guidance system and a two way data-link.
The Firefly carries a omnidirectional fragmentation warhead weighing 350 g. While the warhead may seem to light, it is still very lethal against targets like ballistic missile launchers as a single sharpnel could blow up the weapon. It is also possible that Israel used a modified version of the munition, with a heavier warhead.
Click to see full-size image. (Rafael)
One of the videos released by Mossad showed an attack with what appears to be a loitering munition on a ballistic missile launcher. However, the targeting markers are not similar to the system used in the Firefly, thus, as for now, the use of the weapon remains a speculation.
Other videos showed attacks with Spike NLOS and what appears to be Spike LR2 anti-tank guided missiles on air defense systems. Both missiles come from the same family of precision weapons as the Firefly.
The optical-guided Spike NLOS can hit targets as far as 32 kilometers, which makes it a very suitable weapon for suppression of enemy air defenses, or SEAD, operations. The missile can be armed with a fragmentation, high-explosive anti-tank, or penetrating blast-fragmentation warhead.
The missile weighs just over 70 kg and requires even heavier guidance equipment to control. However, Rafael did showcase in the past Spike NLOS launchers installed in the back of a pickup truck, on a light buggy, or even on a towed trailer.
Click to see full-size image. (Rafael)
It is still unclear how these launchers were smuggled into Iran, although it is possible that they were airlifted with helicopters. In the very first hours of the attack, two Israeli KC-130H transport and refueling aircraft, typically used to refuel S-65C-3 heavy lift helicopters, were spotted flying at a very low altitude over Syria.
Of course, Israel has a history with such complex operations. In 1992, the Israeli Defense Forces planned to use helicopters to airlift Spike NLOS launchers concealed in jeeps similar to those used by the Iraqi military deep into Iraq to kill President Saddam Hussien. The assassination plot, codenamed Operation Bramble Bush, was, however, canceled.
The other optical-guided missile the Mossad may have used in the attack on Iran, the Spike LR2, is easier to move as it is designed for use by infantry.
Click to see full-size image. (Rafael)
The launcher and the missile weigh just 25 kg. Still, it backs a powerful punch with a high-explosive anti-tank warhead and a range of up to 5,5 kilometers.
Iranian authorities are yet to reveal any details about the attack carried out by Mossad commandos. However, the country’s media said that the commandos, or at least some of them, were Iranian nationals trained by the spy agency in a third country.
In addition to the concealed drone launcher, two other trucks allegedly used in the attack were also found. Photos of the trucks were posted to social networks. However, nothing special is notable in the photos.
Click to see full-size image. Via Telegram.
To prevent Mossad from carrying out more operations, Iranian authorities banned the movement of all types of trucks without a security permission. The move came too late, and more can be done to counter the threat posed by the Israeli spy agency.
It’s worth noting that Mossad did carry out similar operations in Iran in the past. Still, Iran clearly didn’t do enough to improve security around its key military facilities.
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