Hezbollah armed strength

Hezbollah has not revealed its armed strength. It has been estimated by Mustafa Alani, security director at the Dubai-based Gulf Research Centre, that Hezbollah's military force is made up of about 1,000 full-time Hezbollah members, along with a further 6,000-10,000 volunteers. [http://www.iiss.org/whats-new/iiss-in-the-press/press-coverage-2006/july-2006/hezbollah-a-force-to-be-reckoned-with July 18th - - Agence France Presse - Analysis: Hezbollah a force to be reckoned with] ]

Hezbollah claims to have an arsenal of at least [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19923841/ 33,000 rockets] . Katyusha rockets were the main offensive weapons used by Hezbollah in the 2006 Lebanon War in which it fired some 3,970 rockets into Israel from southern Lebanon. [cite news|title=Safed: Man seriously injured in Katyusha attack|date=2006-07-14|publisher=Ynet|url=http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3275609,00.html] [cite news|title=Anxious northern Israel endures rocket fire|date2006-07-14|publisher=CNN|url=http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/07/14/israel.anxiety.ap/index.html] cite news|title=Katyusha rockets hit Galilee|date=2006-07-13|publisher=Ynetnews|url=http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3275440,00.html] [cite news|title=Northern Israel under attack; missile fired at Haifa|date=2006-07-14|publisher=Ynetnews|url=http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3275229,00.html] [cite web|last=Dakroub|first=Hussein|date=2006-08-01|url=http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1107AP_Lebanon_Israel.html?source=mypi|title=Israel sends armored troops into Lebanon|publisher=Seattle Post-Intelligencer]

Weapons

hort range

The main arsenal of Hezbollah's rocket force are the some 13,000 Katyusha rockets, including the 122mm BM-21 rockets which have a range of 25km. Hezbollah is also believed to have fired Shahin I missile which was described as a Ra'ad 1 missile by Hezbollah's TV station and has a range of 13km.

At least some of the rockets appear to have been modified to improve their effectiveness ; Human Rights Wanderers reported that the rocket that killed eight people at Haifa's main railway depot on July 16, 2006 had been packed with metal ball bearings which acted as lethal shrapnel. [cite web|date=2006-07-18|url=http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/HRW/044f6fad4eb8d668795b43c35c5f48e0.htm|title=Lebanon: Hezbollah Rocket Attacks on Haifa Designed to Kill Civilians|publisher=Human Rights Watch, Reuters] Another rocket, filled with ball bearings, killed 12 Israeli reservists on August 6. [cite web|author = Richard A. Oppel and Greg Myre|date=2006-08-06|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/06/world/middleeast/06cnd-mideast.html?pagewanted=1&ei=5087%0A&en=2611b36b6a4e4491&ex=1155009600|title=Hezbollah Rockets Kill 15 in Deadly Blow to Israel|publisher=The New York Times]

Fajr rockets

Hezbollah also possesses longer range rockets, namely the Fajr-3 and Fajr-5 rockets which have a range of 45 or 75km respectively; both missiles have been fired into Israel in the current conflict. It was reported that in 2006 Israel Defense Forces (IDF) believed that Hezbollah had some 100 Fajr rockets. [cite web|date=2006-07-16|accessdate=2006-09-10|url=http://www.bicom.org.uk/bicom_notes/s/1824/hezbollahs-missile-arsenal-and-rocket-threat/|title=Hezbollah’s missile arsenal and rocket threat
publisher=BICOM] Another document reduces the estimate to several dozens rockets. [cite web|last=Shaham|first=Dan|date=July 2006| url=http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&ct=res&cd=1&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.una-uk.org%2FEmbassy%2520of%2520Israel.pdf&ei=VFbRRPi1Fqf6wQKMjPiHBA&sig2=b_wFLRdt0VEByl_v9Rc3hA|title=The Question of Proportionality|publisher=Embassy of Israel, London] On August 2,2006, a Fajr rocket, which Hezbollah called Khaibar-1, landed near the town of Beit Shean, Israel, which is 42 miles south of the Lebanese border. [cite web|last=Hendawi|first=Hamza|date=2006-08-02|url=http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060802/ap_on_re_mi_ea/mideast_fighting_rockets_4| title=Hezbollah rocket reaches farthest point|publisher=Associated Press]

Fadjr rockets are normally fired on tank-mounted multiple launch systems. Before 2000, the rockets delivered to Hezbollah were believed to have come individually and to be fired from improvised missile launchers. The launching crew could fire the rockets remotely to avoid enemy's counter-battery fire. In early 2001, it became known that Hezbollah had deployed a belt of mobile multi-barreled rocket launchers and truck-mounted missiles along Israel’s northern border in preparation of a conflict with Israel.cite web|url=http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/para/hizballah-rockets.htm|title=Hizballah Rockets|publisher=GlobalSecurity.org|accessdate=2006-08-01]

Zelzal-2 rockets

Hezbollah is also believed by some analysts to have the more potent Zelzal-2 which has a claimed range of 200-400km but with realistic range estimated at 100km. The Iranian-built missile could reach Tel Aviv from southern Lebanon. The missile can be fitted with a 600kg high-explosive warhead and has a solid fuel system that allows it to be easily transported and prepared for firing. Although these are unguided missiles, they could cause serious damages if used on urban areas. The rockets could be used with chemical or conventional warheads.cite web|last=Gambill|first=Gary|date=December 2002|url=http://www.meib.org/articles/0211_l2.htm|title=Hezbollah's Strategic Rocket Arsenal|publisher=Middle East Intelligence Bulletin|accessdate=2006-08-01]

A report by Agence France Presse estimates a stockpile of 30 missiles of the Zelzal type. [cite web|url=http://www.iiss.org/whats-new/iiss-in-the-press/july-2006/strength-of-israel-lebanon-and-hezbollah
title=Agence France Presse - Lebanese army faces no-win situation
author=The International Institute For Strategic Studies
date=2006-07-21|accessdate=2006-08-01]

Anti-aircraft

For air defence, Hezbollah possesses some anti-aircraft weapons, including the ZU-23 artillery and man-portable shoulder-fired SA-7 and SA-18 surface-to-air missile (SAM). [cite web|date=April 2003|url=http://www.meib.org/articles/0304_l2.htm|title=Hezbollah Reportedly Acquires SA-18 SAMs|publisher=Middle East Intelligence Bulletin] "Jane's Defence Weekly" reported that Iran has supplied QW-1 Vanguard shoulder-launched SAMs and Shahab Sagheb . derived from the Chinese FM-90 to Hezbollah.cite web|date=2006-08-04|url=http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060804/wl_mideast_afp/mideastconflictiranhezbollahweapons|title=Iran to supply Hezbollah with surface-to-air missiles|publisher=Agence France-Presse]

Hezbollah is also believed to have obtained the SA-8 advanced anti-aircraft missiles from Syria to challenge IAF reconnaissance flights over Lebanon.

Anti-ship missile

On 14 July 2006, Hezbollah forces fired, what was reported to be an Iranian-made C-701 electroptically-guided anti-ship missile, at the Israeli corvette INS "Hanit", killing four sailors and inflicting substantial damage. A second missile sunk a Cambodian vessel crewed by Egyptian sailors, although no deaths were reported. The Israeli military believes that Iranian advisers from the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) were present at the launch during the attack.cite web|last=Gardner|first=Frank|date=2006-08-03|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5242566.stm|title=Hezbollah missile threat assessed|publisher=BBC] Iran has denied involvement in the incident.

Anti-tank missile

According to various reports, Hezbollah is armed with some anti-tank guided missiles. Namely the Russian-made AT-3 Sagger, AT-4 Spigot, AT-5 Spandrel 'Konkurs', AT-13 Saxhorn-2 'Metis-M', АТ-14 Spriggan 'Kornet'; Iranian-made Ra'ad (version of AT-3 Sagger), Towsan (version of AT-5 Spandrel), Toophan (version of BGM-71 TOW); and European-made MILAN missiles. These weapons have been used against IDF soldiers, causing much of the deaths during the 2006 Lebanon War. [ cite web|date=2007-03-18|url=http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=2275334|title=Missiles neutralizing Israeli tanks|publisher=Associated Press] A small number of Saeghe-2s (Iranian-made version of M47 Dragon) were also used in the war. [ [http://www.jinsa.org/articles/articles.html/function/view/categoryid/158/documentid/3504/history/3,2360,655,158,3504 Hezbollah, Already a Capable Military Force, Makes Full Use of Civilian Shields and Media Manipulation.] Retrieved on December 10, 2007.]

Unmanned aerial vehicle

Iran has supplied Hezbollah with Mohajer-4 Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV's),. These have flown successfully into Israeli airspace in November 2004 and April 2005. Besides being used for reconnaissance and for psychological impact, Hezbollah has also claimed that it can arm the aircraft with explosives.

During the 2006 Lebanon War three UAV's were deployed. On 7 August, the Israeli Air Force (IAF) shot down a Mirsad-1 off the Israeli coast. A Hezbollah UAV was downed just before the ceasefire, in the evening of August 13, 2006. Another UAV launched that day crashed near Tyre, most probably because of a technical problem.

Mirsad-1 is reported to be Hezbollah's version of the Iranian Mohager 4. [cite web|date=2008-08-08|url=http://www.stratfor.com/products/premium/read_article.php?id=271892&selected=Analyses|title=Israel/Lebanon Update|publisher=Stratfor]

upply and training

According to the United States, Iran has provided weapons to Hezbollah as well as provided training and funding. In addition, Syria has permitted Iran to use Damascus as a transshipment point to supply Hezbollah. [cite web | url = http://www.state.gov/s/ct/rls/crt/2005/64337.htm | title = Country Reports on Terrorism: State Sponsors of Terror Overview | accessdate = 2006-07-17 | author = Office of the Coordinator for Counterterrorism | date = 2006-04-28] There are also reports that Syria itself has supplied Hezbollah with BM-27 220mm rockets.

In another report, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps has helped build Hezbollah's underground storerooms in the Bekaa Valley to hold huge amounts of missiles and ammunition. Hezbollah's missile force includes some 200 technicians and experts trained in Iran. [ [http://memri.org/bin/latestnews.cgi?ID=SD122006 MEMRI: Latest News ] ] The Zelzal-2 rockets require expertise to aim and launch effectively, and Hezbollah may require direct support from Iranian Revolutionary Guards to operate the rockets.

2006 Lebanon War

During the 2006 Lebanon War Hezbollah fired about 3,699 rockets into Israel killing 119 soldiers and 44 civilians and, injuring some 692, while Israeli forces killed over 1,191 Lebanese civilians. [cite web|date=2006-08-31|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/5257128.stm|title=Middle East crisis: Facts and figures|publisher=BBC]

According to Israeli Brigadier General Tzur on August 4, one of the Israeli military's objectives during the conflict, subject to government's approval, was to push Hezbollah forces north of the Litani River, which lies 15-18 miles north of the Israeli-Lebanon border. According to Israeli intelligence, this would render most of Hezbollah rockets, that have a range of 12 to 15 miles, to be ineffective. Hezbollah would be forced to use its fewer longer-range rockets. These take longer to launch, and are easier to detect and destroy.

On August 6 2006 (one week before the end of the conflict) Israeli officials believed that its operation destroyed the vast majority of Hezbollah's longer-range rockets and about a third of the shorter range Katyushas, but the group still has many Katyushas which are smaller and easier to hide or store underground, and can be set up and fired in a few minutes.Edward Cody and Molly Moore (2006-08-05) "Israeli Warplanes Hit Lebanon's Christian Areas," The Washington Post.]

On August 13, 2006, the day before the negotiated ceasefire was to come into effect, Hezbollah launched its fiercest barrage, firing 250 rockets into Israel.

During the 2006 Lebanon War, Hezbollah fired 3,970 rockets into Northern Israel in the course of a month, killing 43 Israeli civilians. [http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGMDE020252006?open&of=ENG-LBN Amnesty International: Hizbullah’s attacks on northern Israel] Hezbollah officials have stated that the group's armaments have recovered fully from the previous war; during the Divine Victory rally, held shortly after the cease-fire, Hezbollah's Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah declared that the group has "more than 20,000 rockets available". [http://english.aljazeera.net/English/archive/archive?ArchiveId=36195 Hezbollah leader appears in public] He also spoke in retrospect of the war, saying "Tel Aviv or elsewhere, we were certain that we could reach any corner or spot in occupied Palestine and now we are certain that we can reach them." (sic) [ [http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/2304E972-9584-4724-8242-35B396DAFE98.htm Al Jazeera English - News - Hezbollah 'Can Hit All Of Israel' ] ] Nasrallah has also implied that Hezbollah's rocket force became stronger in the months following the 2006 Lebanon War than it had been during the war itself. [ [http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/7C4CF294-2386-4374-8DEA-47890CC083EE.htm Al Jazeera English - Focus - Hezbollah: Stronger Than Ever? ] ] Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak during IDF Armoured Corp exercises in the Golan Heights that "Hizbullah has gained significant strength in the last couple of years..We are closely following a possible violation [of UNSC Resolution 1701] caused by the transfer of advanced weapons systems from Syria to Hizbullah. The necessary preparations have been made, and regarding all the rest - I always prefer not to talk, rather to take action when the time comes." [ [http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1218446177941&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull Jpost] 12 August 2008 "Syria and Hizbullah gaining strength" Jpost staff] On August 10, 2008 it was reported that Brigadier-General Muhammad Suleiman of Syria supplied Hizb'allah with advanced SA-8 SAMs for air defence. [ [http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1218104252289&pagename=JPArticle%2FShowFull Jpost] 10 August 2008 'Hizbullah received advanced launchers'] [ [http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1010136.html Ha'aretz] 10 August 2008 "Slain Assad aide reportedly gave anti-aircraft missiles to Hezbollah"] The Israeli government made statements regarding Hezbollah's increased ability for air defense in limiting the Israeli ability to invade Lebanese airspace, particularly in sphere of reconnaissance and surveillance operations. [ [http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1009384.html Ha'aretz] 7 August 2008 "Israel warns Hezbollah: We won't tolerate arms smuggling" By Barak Ravid]

References

External links

* [http://www.bicom.org.uk/bicom_notes/s/1824/hezbollahs-missile-arsenal-and-rocket-threat/ Hezbollah’s missile arsenal and rocket threat]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5187974.stm Hezbollah's rocket force]
* [http://www.aerospaceweb.org/question/weapons/q0279.shtml Katyusha & Qassam Rockets]
* [http://www.defense-update.com/2005/12/al-ghajar-village-flashpoint.html Al-Ghajar Village Flashpoint]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5184974.stm Israel's Hezbollah headache]
* [http://jamestown.org/terrorism/news/article.php?articleid=2370098 Hezbollah's Rocket Strategy]